Fate Azure Sky
by reap3r
Summary: Rin summons her servant for the Holy Grail War. But this white-haired, red-clad hero is none other than Ragna the Bloodedge! The rules of the Holy Grail War have changed, and more than one world can be saved or lost this time.
1. Prologue : Lost Actors

**Prologue - **Lost Actors

Clouds billowed past the Ragna the Bloodedge as he walked over the ridge. He looked up, the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi reflected in his green and red irises. The Grim Reaper's gaze was at the same time ambitious and melancholic. Dismissing a thought, he adjusted the massive blade strapped to his back and continued walking.

* * *

Rin Tohsaka stared out the window of her classroom, the teacher's words were meaningless to her today. Her thoughts dwelt on success in a far more important form of education. Today she would continue the family tradition - follow in her father's footsteps as a master competing against six others. She had no personal wish for the Holy Grail to grant, but as an achievement of magecraft and strategy it was vital to her.

* * *

The outline of the massive city was all that Ragna could see as the sun set behind it. The Grim Reaper continued to walk until the last rays of light were gone.

"There's no way I'll make it there by morning, might as well get some sleep, then I can walk the rest of the way in daylight and attack at nightfall." He said to himself as he eyed the distance between him and the city. He made himself comfortable under the branches of a lone tree and dozed off.

* * *

Rin returned to her mansion and changed into her red and black magus outfit. The fateful summoning of her servant would begin tonight. There was no room for error, getting everything absolutely right was vital. She gathered her equipment and headed to the basement.

* * *

In a field of white roses, a pair of aristocrats were sipping tea at a table - a young girl and an adult man. A casual observer would assume they were related as both had pale blonde hair, red eyes, and a gothic clothing style. While both were vampires, they were in fact from different worlds.

"How appropriate, the observers of each world coming together." The man said and laughed evilly.

"Do you have any knowledge of what caused this?" The girl asked.

"No, but the effect is rather interesting, like actors wandering into the wrong theatre." The man replied.

* * *

"Ye first, O silver, O iron. O stone of the foundation. O Archduke of the Contract. Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg."

Rin chanted as she began the ritual.

"Let the descending winds be a wall. Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the kingdom revolve."

* * *

"I have no way of predicting what effect this will have, perhaps your method can provide some results" The vampire girl explained.

The man's intimidating shark-like smile disappeared, replaced by one of genuine interest. "I envy you, being able to rehearse the end of the world instead of frantically searching for a solution before it comes"

* * *

Rin traced the magic circle with molten jewels. It was her intention to use this modification of the ritual to force the summoning of Saber - the most powerful servant.

"Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.

Five perfections for each repetition.

And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!"

The complex design on the floor began to glow blood red.

"Anfang"

Magical energy flooded the girl's body. She gasped. The feeling of simultaneous ecstasy and agony violated every nerve in her body. She kept her composure, determined to complete the ritual, she continued the incantation.

"Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.

If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond."

* * *

"Perhaps this strange event will change the fate of both worlds" The girl said as she smiled optimistically.

The pools of blood that were the man's eyes showed something other than madness for once. "I certainly hope so." he replied and stood up. "I must be leaving now. Thank you for the tea, Lady Alucard."

"It was my pleasure, Count Eltnam."

The phenomenon known as Night of Wallachia disappeared with a wave of his cape, leaving Rachel Alucard alone in her garden.

* * *

The light coming from the summoning circle was almost as bright as day. The ritual was almost complete. Rin knew that her peak energy was now. She had accounted for the clocks in the house being wrong, that could've caused some major consequences.

"I make my oath here.

I am that person who is to become the virtue of all heavens.

I am that person who is covered with the evil of all hades.

Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,

Come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance!"

The light reached a brilliant crescendo... and then suddenly died.

"Nothing?"

She heard an explosion above her.

* * *

_"How the hell did I get here?"_ Ragna thought to himself. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep, then there was a loud crash and he woke up in a smoke-filled room. Through the smoke, he could see the outline of a pigtailed girl.

"Rabbit! Why the hell did you summon me now?" he shouted. "Wait... you're not the rabbit."

The smoke cleared; master and servant, both clad in red, stared each other down.

"So you are my servant. Are you a saber class?" Rin asked.

"Goddamn it! I am not anyone's servant!" Ragna shouted. "What the hell is a saber class anyway?"

"You are a heroic spirit. Right?"

"I'm no hero, I'm the Library's most wanted man!"

"Library? I don't recall any branches of the Mages Association by that name."

Ragna's eyebrow arched with curiosity.

"No Library? And you haven't heard of me. This must be a different world or something."

Rin started pacing around the room.

"Damn it. The Grail must have malfunctioned again. Father warned me about this."

"Would you please explain what the hell is going on here?"

"The Holy Grail War. Seven masters summon seven heroic spirits known as servants. The last pair standing wins. Usually the servants come from ancient myths, but in the last war, and probably this one too, the source of the servants is unknown." Rin looked at her hand. "The connection seems to be complete, you should be able to feel it now."

Ragna reached out with his mind, sensing the magic around him. There was a direct line between him and the girl. What surprised him more was the ambient field, seithr of this concentration would usually be deadly, but this field was different; strong, but not at all invasive or overpowering.

"That seal on your hand, that's what connects us."

"We call it the command spell, with it the master can give the servant three absolute orders, miracles beyond the rules of the world are possible, but require careful wording."

Ragna's eyes flashed with rage, his body shifted to an aggressive stance.

"So you're controlling me?"

"Don't think of it like that, I wouldn't waste these on simple orders. Besides, servants usually respond to the summoning because of their own desire to obtain the Grail, so cooperation with their master is a natural result."

"Well I don't have any desire for this Grail, but working with you seems like my best bet to get out of here. Still, if we get into a fight I'm gonna do things my way."

Rin sniffed and looked at him condescendingly. "I guess that's to be expected, each servant should know how to make the most of their abilities."

_"The nerve! thinking he's a better strategist than me!"_ she thought to herself.

Ragna could see that this girl took it as an insult. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I'm still relying on your knowledge of this world. All I'm saying is that I don't want you to tell me how to do every strike like I'm some kind of pet."

"I wouldn't dream of it, I'm assuming that any servant I summon will be competent enough to think for themselves, the Holy Grail War is for warriors, not attack dogs."

"And there I was thinking you have no respect for me whatsoever." Ragna snarked. "Anyway, do you have a name? There's no way I'm gonna call you master."

"My name is Rin Tohsaka, call me whatever you like."

Ragna contemplated the name, whispering it to himself to get a feel for it. "Then I'll call you Rin. My name is Ragna the Bloodedge, but most people call me the Grim Reaper."

"Servants are usually called by their class names instead of their real names to avoid enemies researching their abilities, but since there is no way to research you it will be even less revealing to call you Ragna." Rin giggled. "People who have just met calling each other by first names, how informal. Then again, supplying someone with mana is kind of an intimate thing."

Ragna's cheeks turned the colour of his jacket. "Whaaaaa-"

A moment later, Rin understood the double meaning of her words and became similarly flustered. "I didn't mean it like that!" She shouted as she rubbed the back of her head. "Anyway, I need to rest after the summoning. You can stay in the guest bedroom, do not disturb me."

With that, the master and servant turned away from each other and walked to their rooms. Rin undressed and collapsed on the luxurious bed, she was near exhaustion so sleep came easily.

She dreamt of a beautiful world with an azure sky.


	2. Grim Reaper meets Bloodthirsty Murderer

**Grim Reaper** _meets_ Bloodthirsty Murderer

Ragna's focused eyes were reflected in the blade of a kitchen knife, he admired the well-made steel, then threw it into the air. The knife spun end over end before the cybernetic right arm plucked in from the air and set it down on the table. Satisfied with the prosthetic's performance, Ragna went back to preparing breakfast.

_"What? This cannot be!"_

Ragna's eyes went wide, his face went pale, to the point of appearing blue. He stared at the labels on the tea leaves in the cupboard.

_"She looks like the Rabbit, she talks like the Rabbit, she even likes the same damn tea! Is there a tea-loving aristocratic ice queen in every universe?"_

In a different world, a living doll with pigtails and a red dress sneezed, much to the confusion of the bespectacled introvert next to her.

* * *

Rin woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her door.

"I thought I told you not to disturb me!"

Ragna's voice came from the other side.

"Do you intend to sulk in there all day or something? C'mon I made breakfast."

"What? Breakfast?"

"Yeah, get out here and see for yourself."

"But the living room is a mess and I'm sure you made just as much of a mess in the kitchen."

* * *

Rin looked in awe at the living room.

"I didn't want to leave the room looking like that, even if it was your fault for having crappy aim with the summoning." Ragna remarked.

The entire room had been restored to a pre-explosion state. There were no burns and no rubble. The table had two complete Japanese breakfasts - rice, fish, miso soup and tea.

The master and servant sat down to eat. Rin noticed the care that went into the preparation - everything was cooked for just the right time, perfectly seasoned. Ragna had clearly picked out the best ingredients from what she had lying around. The tea was one of her favorites, she'd be angry if it was used carelessly but it was made exactly as she liked it.

The servant sitting in front of her showed an unexpected level of restraint. Rin clearly saw that he could wolf down everything in a second if he wanted to, but he had learned proper table manners, probably from a noble.

"I've noticed that everything here still relies solely on electricity, I expected a world with this kind of ambient power to have more magical appliances." Ragna said.

Rin considered the idea of a world with open magic use. The idea seemed daunting but exciting.

"Magical talent is rare in this world. Keeping it hidden is one of our top priorities."

"Yet somehow we're supposed to fight other masters. If their servants have powers similar to mine, being subtle will be impossible."

"It's actually an advantage for us. Fighting will be restricted to night time, alleyways, rooftops and abandoned buildings. They will not be able to attack while we are in public."

"Good thinking, but this mansion could probably be attacked without bystanders noticing too much. It could become a problem."

"I have wards on it in case anyone tries to sneak in. I'll show you around town after this."

* * *

Ragna felt slightly self-conscious as he walked out of the mansion.

"Wouldn't I stand out around here? I'm sure the local clothing style is different to what I'm wearing."

"This is Japan, people in cities are used to seeing teenagers dressing up. One of our advantages is that civilians tend to make up their own explanations for what we do, saving us some of the trouble of covering things up."

* * *

"Fuyuki city is divided into two parts by a river, Shinto is the business district while Miyama is the residential district. Miyama is further divided into Japanese and Western houses." Rin explained as she began Ragna's tour of the city.

"This city is flat compared to the ones I've seen. In our world, a substance called seithr makes it impossible to live at sea level. The lower concentrations at high altitudes mean that most cities are built on mountains." Ragna recounted the architecture of his homeworld. "The design is called a Hierarchical City. The nobles and Library officials live at the top, while the bottom is a ghetto for minority species that can survive higher levels of seithr. Travel between cities is accomplished by airships, although some like me can survive the seithr and travel on foot."

* * *

They entered the deserted park in Shinto. Ragna felt uneasy amidst the dead trees. He hated ghosts and right now the whole area felt like it was haunted. There was a persistent mist that crippled visibility and turned the sky gray on even the brightest days.

"I don't like this place, it's completely empty. The lingering presence must be powerful enough that even normal people can sense and avoid it."

Rin thought about the history of this place, she heard that this exact spot was where the Fourth Holy Grail War reached its climax.

"This was the site of a major fire that occurred at the end of the last war, I suppose the deaths and regrets still haunt this park even though the town around it was rebuilt."

"The energy here feels like a powerful Ars was-"

They felt someone watching them. Rin felt a stinging in her hand as the command spell reacted to the presence of another master. The master and servant turned back-to-back and looked for the concealed threat.

"Can you sense him, Ragna?"

"I know there's someone out there but I can't tell who it is or where they are."

"A servant like Assassin can easily conceal themselves, but for a master to hide this well requires incredible skill."

The presence passed as quickly as it came. Rin and Ragna relaxed, but noticed that in their fear, one of them had unconsciously grabbed the other's hand. They blushed and gave each other an _"I wasn't scared, so it must've been you!"_ look.

* * *

Rin showed Ragna the rest of Shinto, then they stopped to have dinner at a small cafe.

"Tohsaka!"

It was Rin's friend from school - Ayako Mitsuzuri. The brunette came over to their table with a sly smile.

"So this is why you've never shown interest in any of the guys at school! You already have an older boyfriend! He's so cute and he's dressed so cool, is he a model?"

Ragna and Rin simultaneously flushed bright red and screamed with embarrassment.

"He's not my boyfriend! He was an associate of my late father. I was just showing him around town." Rin shouted, mortified by her friend's assumption.

"Well as long as he's not your cousin or anything you should totally go out with him. If you don't, I just might!" Ayako replied enthusiastically.

"He's not my type! Besides he came here on a business matter and he'll be gone in a few days."

"Whatever, you better show up for school tomorrow or I'll know that you're skipping to hang out with your hot boyfriend again." Ayako gave Ragna a flirty glance and walked off grinning like a maniac.

"Your friend is terrifyingly perverted" Ragna commented after she left.

"She's actually sane most of the time, but we're having a contest to see who can get a boyfriend first and she gets weird when she's competitive." Rin explained.

"Well that confirms it, you're a hormone-addled teenage girl."

"Well at least I'm not a mopey anarchist!"

"I'm not an anarchist, I'm a revolutionary!"

"But you don't have any goals other than destroying the Library!"

"Yeah, what about your plans for the future?"

"The Holy-"

"And what are you gonna wish for?"

Rin fell silent. As much as she hated to admit it, Ragna was right. She had no wish in mind for the Grail, her only reason for wanting it was pride.

"Hmpf! Come on Ragna, we're going." Rin said angrily and stood up.

* * *

They walked in silence to the tallest building in Shinto and took the elevator to the top floor. Rin stepped out and felt the cool wind in her hair, she relaxed and let her exasperation wash away. They walked over to the edge and took in the view.

"Another white-haired servant. Is everyone in this war going to be so pretty?" A voice behind them said. Rin and Ragna spun around instantly, ready for battle.

On the other side of the roof stood a beautiful maid. Her silver-white braids whipped around in the wind. Her deep blue eyes showed murderous intent.

"I am Sakuya Izayoi, Elegant Maid and the Assassin of this war."

She produced several knives and threw them in a fan spread. Ragna put himself between Rin and her and activated a barrier ars. Suddenly, the maid disappeared, Rin noticed her falling upside-down next to the building and throwing another barrage.

"Ragna! Behind us!" Rin shouted. She deflected the knives with a few Gandr shots. The maid vanished again.

"Gauntlet Hades!"

Ragna flipped into the air, he had predicted where Sakuya was going to appear. Her next volley flew under him and she was met with a darkness-enhanced fist to the face.

The maid went flying across the rooftop and slammed into the railing. Rin had already jumped off the roof and Ragna followed.

* * *

Knives rained down around them, Rin returned fire as she fell. Ragna kicked off the sides of the two skyscrapers, trying not to get caught in the spreads of knives and dark bullets. Rin righted herself and landed softly, her magic had lowered her terminal velocity sufficiently to survive the fall. Ragna rolled as he landed next to her. Without wasting a second, they sprinted out of the alleyway.

Sakuya could not attack them once they were on a populated street, but her master didn't want them dead yet. The killer maid smirked and vanished.

* * *

"You didn't tell me masters could fight so well" Ragna remarked.

"She wasn't even trying, a Gandr shot would never overpower a Noble Phantasm. Those knives were just a basic weapon, her true power must lie in her mastery of time." Rin explained.

"Time manipulation? Can servants have that kind of power?"

"She had some kind of pocket watch, I bet that's her Noble Phantasm. It probably allows her to stop time so it appears like she's teleporting. But if she could stop time, why didn't she kill us while we were frozen?"

"If her class is Assassin, maybe she was just sent to scout the area and was forced to fight us."

"She mentioned something about other servants, she was probably spying on someone else too. That means there's at least one master in that part of Shinto."

Rin thought about the possible locations of the other masters. One or more of them are likely to attend the same school as her, and the one in Shinto may be staying in a hotel - the substitute arranged by the fake priest... Kotomine! He probably knew something about the strange servants being summoned, she'd have to see him about that.

"You look happy." Ragna said.

"I think we may be able to get some answers after all." Rin responded.


	3. Old Friend : Old Rival

**Old Friend** / Old Rival

Holy Grail War commenced...

Time since summoning of Saber: 2 days

Servants summoned: 6/7

Time since first engagement: 26 hours

* * *

The magnificent church stood alone in the calm night. Candlelight flickered against the stained-glass windows, a robed man and a silver-haired maid sat in elegant armchairs in a private room at the back.

"So you have successfully observed the abilities of both Saber and his master?" the man asked.

"Yes Kotomine-sama, his name is Ragna." Sakuya answered.

"Hmm... So he's just like yourself and the others - a servant not from history or legend." Kotomine said.

"He does not appear to be any sort of Youkai." Sakuya said.

"If his abilities have different rules, then he's probably from a different universe" Kotomine explained. "Looks like they're here now, try not to be seen on your way out."

The maid disappeared into thin air.

* * *

The doors creaked as Rin pushed them open, Ragna walked behind her and tensed as they entered the church.

"I used to live in a church, and now I feel chills whenever I'm near one." he said.

"This isn't a normal church, the fake priest who lives here trained me as a magus and is now the overseer of the Grail War." Rin replied.

Ragna wasn't surprised at all, he had sensed traces of Ars Magus in the old hag who had watched over him. He always suspected that she used to be something more.

"What kind of person is he?" Ragna asked.

"His name is Kirei Kotomine. Even though I've known him for ten years, I haven't even begun to understand who he really is." Rin remembered the uneasy feeling the fake priest gave her every time she saw him. "Something seems off about him, I'm always on edge when I see him."

"A good teacher ensures that his pupil is always alert and aware" the priest said as he stepped out of the shadows, his long coat flowing behind him as his silent footsteps carried him towards his guests. He towered over Rin, but his eyes were level with Ragna's.

"So it seems that you have successfully summoned a servant, you could've informed me by phone." he said.

Ragna felt pinpricks in his right arm. This guy wasn't intimidating, but the servant had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"Something is wrong, Kirei. The servants are being summoned from some weird place." Rin said.

The priest gave her a curious look. "So it is like the last war."

"This has happened before?"

"According to my father, it started in the third war. An anomaly occurred in the summoning process, and a mysterious servant was summoned. A glorious but twisted angel with the power to connect worlds. He was defeated eventually, and when his spirit entered the Grail its abilities were absorbed by it. Since the previous war, all of the servants summoned did not appear in any myth, legend or historic record."

"Like some kind of alternate universe?" Rin asked.

"Possibly several, their powers differed dramatically, so it is possible that each one came from a different world with different rules." Kirei explained. "Since the phenomenon occurred in the third war, a supervisor was assigned to ensure that the war is not exposed to civilians. My father was the supervisor for the last war. He was killed then, and eventually there was an... exposure"

"Exposure? Of magic?"

"The fire that ravaged Shinto. Five hundred killed or wounded. One hundred and thirty-four buildings destroyed. That fire was caused when an undeserving master obtained the Grail, and the abnormalities could no longer be contained."

Images of a flaming church invaded Ragna's head. Then they were replaced with even more disturbing ones. Library soldiers dying in droves, the flames lighting up the night sky, blood... so much blood. In the middle of all of it, he revelled in the carnage.

_"Was I really such a monster?" _He thought. The Grim Reaper felt remorse, he questioned his actions for the first time. Could he be similar to this psycho?

"Ragna? what's wrong?" Rin asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Ragna answered. He swallowed and tried to dispel the nausea.

"We have to win this time, to ensure that something like that doesn't happen again." Rin said.

"Right, I don't give a damn about getting the Holy Grail, but I'm not gonna stand by and let it blow up in our faces."

"If you have any more questions, now is the time to ask, Rin. You will not be allowed to return here unless you are seeking sanctuary." Kirei said.

"I expect none of the other masters gave much away, but you should know the order in which the servants were summoned." Rin said.

"Berserker was first, Lancer was second, then Assassin and Caster. Saber was summoned two days ago, Rider yesterday, and Archer earlier today. With all the servants successfully summoned, I consider the Holy Grail War to have officially commenced."

"Do you know anything else about the conditions this time around?" Rin asked.

"Expect a lot of new arrivals, there aren't many talented magi in the town so a few have come from overseas. Beware, some of them are accomplished mage-slayers and will be far easier to kill using your servant than fighting them by yourself."

"I don't go down that easily, it's probably the only thing I have in common with the fake priest who taught me" Rin joked. She turned around and started to walk out without even saying goodbye. Her servant turned to follow her.

"Servant Saber-" Kotomine said.

"The name's Ragna." the red servant barked back.

"The Grail will be able to grant your ultimate wish at long last."

Kirei's comment had caught him off-guard. "What the hell do you know about my wish?" Ragna asked.

"Like me, you have lost all that you love. Now only hate fills the emptiness. Your quest for vengeance against the world will soon succeed." Kirei said ominously.

The Grim Reaper froze, his mind rediscovered the horrific images, the darkness in his heart threatened to suffocate him. Destruction was the only thing he accomplished since the day everything he loved was taken from him.

"C'mon Ragna, we're leaving." Rin shouted from the exit.

His master's words snapped him out of his trance, the desolation in his mind replaced with confidence. Ragna regained his composure and flashed a cool smile at Kirei. "Tch, nice try priest, but right now I'm liking this world too much to destroy it. And sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a boring empty shell like you so stop trying to find a kindred spirit and get a damn life." he retorted.

Kirei was dumbfounded, although his blank expression barely showed it. Ragna turned on his heel and went to join Rin, the long tails of his coat waving behind him as he walked out with newfound poise.

* * *

"You handled Kirei pretty well for your first time" Rin said as they walked down the hill.

"Thanks." Ragna replied. "Why did he say that it's better for the servant to take out enemy masters?"

"When a master dies, their servant is cut off from its primary source of mana and fades from the world. Masters are still human, while servants are extremely powerful spirits. It's a lot easier for a servant to kill an enemy master, as opposed to risking an all-out fight with another servant."

"But wouldn't that leave the attacking master open to attack from the defending master's servant?"

"Yes, it's not likely that we'll encounter a master who doesn't keep their servant close at all times. Just keep this in mind in case you ever have the opportunity. This tactic is mostly used by Assassin-class servants due to their stealth and speed."

"Like that psychotic maid we met earlier."

"If we get in a fight, don't get too caught up trying to protect me. Focus on defeating the enemy that's attacking you."

"Even against those scary masters Kirei warned us about?" Ragna teased.

Rin gave him an angry look. "Hey! I have a few abilities that even servants are scared of!"

Their escalating argument was interrupted by an elegant feminine laugh.

Two women stood about twenty meters down the road - a master and a servant. Rin's eyes narrowed as she recognized one of them. Ragna scanned both meticulously.

The master was a young foreigner with long blonde curls and amber eyes. Her long blue dress fluttered in the wind. Every move she made projected grace and arrogance.

The servant shared the elegance of her master but her style was far more functional - her rose-coloured hair fell only slightly past her shoulders and she was dressed in a white jacket, short red cape and brown miniskirt.

Ragna noticed one similarity between them - both were wearing boots that allowed good mobility. This meant that the noblewoman wouldn't just be a spectator.

"Luvia!" Rin hissed.

"You know her?" Ragna asked.

"She's an old rival. I'll handle her myself, you just keep her servant off my back."

"Lightning, take care of the servant." The woman in blue commanded.

The servant known as Lightning met Ragna's gaze. Keeping their distance, they walked into an empty field next to the road. The female servant drew a futuristic weapon that looked like a cross between a gun and a sword. The Grim Reaper materialized his massive blade.

The red and blue girls faced each other on the road...

"Tohsaka!"

"Edelfelt!"

As if a starter pistol was fired, they broke into a run. Gandr shots flew from their outstretched fingers and collided between the two masters.

Their inevitable collision imminent, Rin went high, Luvia went low. Each of them grabbed the other's shooting hand. A smoking black mark appeared on the ground inches from Luvia's face.

Seeing her chance, the supine combatant planted her white boot in her opponent's abdomen and sent her flying forwards.

Rin was taken off-guard but recovered and landed on her outstretched hands. Her skirt fluttered as her long legs sailed over her body. Completing the maneuver, she landed in a low stance, her feet spread wide and one hand supporting her.

* * *

As their masters' fight commenced, the two servants leapt into the air. The grinding of their swords produced a burst of sparks as they streaked past each other. Recovering from their unsuccessful joust, they turned around to face each other again.

Ragna went on the offensive, charging forward with a downward swing. Lightning parried the strike with difficulty, the momentum of the blade disrupted her balance and left her open for a second strike.

Ragna did a low thrust, dark flames burning along his sword. Lightning dodged to the side and swung at Ragna's head. The Grim Reaper ducked at the last second.

"Inferno Divider!"

Lightning leaned back just in time to avoid the rising blade. The dark ash coming off it singed a few of her hairs. She continued her movement backwards, flipping and striking the airborne Ragna in the stomach as he came down, the red servant was sent flying and landed hard on his back. Lightning righted herself with a flourish and dashed towards her opponent.

Luvia looked down at her crouching rival. She extended her hand and fired three dark bullets. As Rin raised her hand to fire shots of her own, she threw something else as well - the Azoth dagger.

The dagger flew through the air, hidden by the explosions of the colliding Gandr shots, Luvia only noticed it coming directly at her nose at the last second. She let out a panicked scream and swatted it out of the air with a clumsy flailing of her hands.

Luvia's attention was so focused on the dagger that she failed to notice Rin flying straight at her. Red crashed into blue and they toppled to the ground.

There was a flash of steel. Luvia opened her eyes. Her left saw the point of a dagger hovering just above it. Her right saw a triumphant Rin straddling her.

"Looks like I win this one, Edelfelt." Rin gloated.

"Tohsaka!" Luvia hissed, her shock had disappeared, replaced with a defiant glare. "Then let's see if your servant is a match for mine."

* * *

Lightning and Ragna stared into each other's eyes, their blades locked between them.

"Good determination. You wouldn't happen to be leading a rebellion against an evil organization? Would you?" Ragna teased.

"Looks like you're my type. If our masters weren't such bitter rivals we'd get along quite well" Lightning joked flirtatiously.

Ragna chuckled to himself. He pushed forward, his reverse grip shortened the maximum range of his strikes slightly, but it gave him a lot more strength in situations like this.

Lightning was on the verge of being overpowered. She had only one choice now, she shifted her stance, resting her weight on her opponent's sword and pushed off with her own as she jumped over him.

Their eye contact never broke, except now Lightning was upside-down in midair with her gunblade aimed at her opponent.

Ragna held the back of his blade against his arm and activated the mechanism. The Blood Scythe extended over his head and into the path of the enemy servant's bullets. The Grim Reaper turned gracefully, twirling the scythe around his body and above his head before launching a wide sweep.

The pink-haired girl crouched as she landed, barely avoiding the deadly arc and kicked upwards as the scythe passed over her. The kick glanced off Ragna's jaw as he continued his spin, coming around again, he brought his scythe straight down.

"Lightning!" Luvia screamed.

The dust settled, Ragna's scythe was firmly planted in the ground, Lightning had succeeded in avoiding it and was now lying awkwardly with her gun pointed at Ragna. She fired.

Ragna had no time to think, so he did the only thing he could – _he retracted his scythe._

The mechanism pulled the shaft into a vertical position, taking him with it as bullets rushed through the space he was previously occupying. Ragna swung around his weapon like an acrobat and kicked the gun out of Lightning's hand with both feet.

Luvia's eyes widened, she recognized the move "Six... One... Nine... who is this guy?"

The Blood Scythe had completed its transformation back into a sword. Ragna dragged it through the earth, carving out a semi-circle of shredded dirt and finally stopping the sword inches from his helpless opponent.

"Ragna! Don't finish her off just yet." Rin said in an interested tone. She looked down at her rival and flashed a cunning smile...


	4. One Winged Angel : Warriors of Fantasy

**One-Winged Angel**/ Warriors of Fantasy

"Better the devil you know, huh?" Luvia remarked. Allying with her arch-rival was a crazy idea, but it was sounding better by the second.

"We were always rivals, but I know you well enough. You're the only master I can afford to trust." Rin explained.

The two girls were sitting in the middle of a park, they had several hours before dawn so they decided to plan now and sleep during the day if they had to. Since battles were more likely to occur at night, sleeping past midday is much more tactically sound when reconnaissance has ended and the team is ready to engage in all-out combat.

Their servants, Ragna and Lightning, were sitting a few feet away and making small talk. Despite both servants having a tendency to be cold to strangers, an occasional laugh could be heard coming from them.

"So, why did the noble family of Edelfelt suddenly decide to return to the Grail War?" Rin asked.

Luvia gave her a haughty look. "The noble family of Edelfelt is still cowering in Europe after the humiliation of the third war, _I_ decided to come and fight in this one." she explained in a disdainful tone.

Rin smiled playfully. "Well there's no need to be scared with me holding your hand"

Luvia's face went red, her teeth clenched. "I could do this on my own if I wanted to! I'm doing you a favour here!" she hissed.

"Hey! I was never doubting you. I wouldn't pick a rival who I don't consider a worthy opponent." Rin said, trying to cool Luvia's temper. The blonde noticed the disguised compliment and her face returned to its natural pale colour. With the potential argument averted, Rin returned to her questioning.

"You got here through the Association right?"

"Yes"

"Do you know if any other foreign mages were sent?"

"Yeah, just one from what I know. She works as muscle for the Association. Supposedly her family line can be traced back to ancient times."

"Professional mage killer, huh? Sounds pretty tough"

"Good thing I managed to dig up a pretty good profile. Her name is..."

* * *

"Bazett?" a sophisticated masculine voice asked.

The purple-haired, suit-wearing woman known as Bazett Fraga McRemitz looked up from what she was doing. "Yes?" she answered with a hint of an Irish accent.

"Why are you doing this"

"Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of meeting a great hero. I was told a very tragic story, and I always wanted to save the hero from his cruel fate."

"That's not what I meant." the man said, clearly perplexed. The motion of Bazett's hands stopped. "Why are you brushing my hair?"

The girl's eyes widened in shock, she tried to hide her blushing cheeks with one hand. "W-well... I..." She stammered "I didn't get the right genes to have pretty long hair, and I always wanted to know what brushing it would feel like." She looked at her feet, dejected "I can stop if you don't like it."

"That's alright, you can keep going."

With that reassurance, Bazett started grooming the long silver strands again.

"What was that stuff you were talking about earlier? Something about a hero from a story?" the servant asked.

"Nevermind, just wishful thinking." she answered, trying to avoid the topic.

"I'm sorry that I'm not the hero you wanted to get."

"Don't worry, Sephiroth. You'll always be my hero." Bazett reassured him.

The servant called Sephiroth relaxed and closed his eyes, focusing on the comforting sensation of bristles running through his hair. Even with the tender touch of his master's soft fingertips on his scalp, he could feel the power her hands were capable of.

"All done!" Bazett said with a warm smile. Sephiroth noticed her expression in the mirror, and turned the swivel chair around to face her.

She gave him a quizzical look, hiding her growing anticipation. "Sephiroth?"

"Bazett, come closer." Sephiroth requested. The woman moved easily, her body automatically positioning itself to sit comfortably on his lap.

Their eyes met in an affectionate gaze. His slender yet strong hand rested comfortingly on the back of her neck. She stroked his face with the backs of her fingernails. Their faces edged closer and closer together. Sephiroth tilted his head slightly and felt the side of Bazett's nose brush against his own.

In a split second, the servant's calmness and passion were replaced by a sense of danger...

The huge window overlooking the city shattered into a million pieces as a storm of dark bullets poured into the room, followed by Lightning leaping in, sword drawn.

Sephiroth had thrown himself on top of Bazett to protect her. He sized up his opponent as he got up. A Japanese-style blade longer than it's wielder's height manifested in his outstretched left hand.

A nostalgic smirk appeared on Sephiroth's face. "Another heroine with a strange fashion sense. At least your hairstyle is somewhat practical" he snarked.

Lightning went on the offensive, running along the wall and swinging at Sephiroth as she passed him. Blazefire Saber was met by Masamune, sparks flew as the swords scraped against each other.

The moment the blades disengaged, Sephiroth swing his nodachi in a wide arc over his head, shredding the ceiling above him. Lightning turned around just in time to block the full force of the downward slash. He continued to push down on her sword.

"Bazett! The roof!" Sephiroth barked the order and his master fled. Bazett frantically pulled on her gloves as she sprinted towards the elevator.

Before she got to it, there was a ping and the doors opened to reveal Luvia standing elegantly with her hands clasped in front of her. She looked up at Bazett through her bangs and flashed a bloodthirsty smile.

The suited woman was not deterred, she lit up a rune on her gloved fist and hurtled into the elevator without slowing down. Luvia sidestepped nonchalantly and there was a screech of metal being deformed. The elevator doors closed and the numbers counted upwards.

* * *

Rin looked on from the top a nearby office building. Her shots had provided cover for Lightning's insertion.

"It's time, Ragna."

The red servant picked up his master in a bridal carry and soared over to the roof of the enemy's hotel.

* * *

Lightning struggled against Sephiroth, their blades were at an impasse, but it was only a matter of time before his sheer strength overwhelmed her. "Servant Lancer. Huh?" she remarked. "You certainly have the elegance, but from what I can see you've traded precision for pure power."

"Your blade is too weak to be your main Phantasm, I'm guessing by your stunts that you're Rider." Sephiroth inferred. With that he stepped forward and used his full weight to send Lightning crashing through the wall.

Paying no attention to the temporarily inactive opponent, he headed for the window. Gravity was a relatively minor obstacle for a servant and he bounded effortlessly up the shining glass of the building, reaching the rooftop in a few seconds.

"Belial Edge!"

Sephiroth instinctively blocked the sharp object coming towards him. Ragna's lunge propelled both servants to the top of a nearby high-rise. Both servants landed on their feet and faced off.

They looked like long-lost brothers with their silver hair and use of metal and belts in their outfits. Ragna had medium-length spiked hair, mismatched red and green eyes and a bright scarlet jacket. In contrast Sephiroth's hair was long and flowing, his eyes were symmetrically aqua-green and he had a longer black trench coat. Both were handsome men with sharp facial features. Both held disproportionately large blades in their left hands. The most striking similarity however, was the ability to manifest a single dark wing.

They mirrored a playful half-smile. "Tch. One-winged angel. How appropriate..." The two servants said simultaneously.

Their wings disintegrated as they assumed combat stances. Ragna charged forward, his blade connected with Sephiroth's. He didn't even try to initiate a blade lock, instead sliding his sword along the length of his opponent's.

The two warriors were back-to-back now, Ragna whirled around and swung his weapon. The black servant was already in position to block it. The Grim Reaper launched a series of ferocious slashes, Sephiroth deflected each one effortlessly, his minimalist footwork was a clear contrast to Ragna's spins and jumps.

Their blade technique was equally wild though, both servants swung in wide arcs, often nicking the ground in the process. A stray swing from Sephiroth cut down an air conditioning vent. Ragna's Blood Scythe tore a chunk of solid concrete out of the barrier on the edge of the rooftop where Sephiroth was perched only moments ago.

"Eager to get off this roof are we?" Sephiroth asked mockingly.

Ragna chuckled to himself. "What can I say? I hate sticking around in one place for too long."

Sephiroth vaulted over the edge and pushed off against the side of the building, launching himself at another. He stepped lightly on the windowed side, careful not to break the glass under his feet.

"Thundaga!"

A bolt of lightning blackened the glass where he was standing moments ago. The servant of the same name followed shortly, landing with the same care as him and running along the glass with her blade poised to strike.

The black servant easily sidestepped her lunge, but Lightning had never intended to hit with it, instead she twisted around and planted her foot in Sephiroth's chest. He was sent flying downwards. The SOLDIER dug his sword into the side of the building and ground to a halt. He casually stepped onto the side of the building and pulled Masamune from the shredded concrete and glass.

Sephiroth charged up the side of the skyscraper. He smoothly deflected Lightning's blade as he passed her.

"Dead Spike!"

Sephiroth barely avoided a maw made from solid darkness. Shattered glass sprayed all over him, but it was barely a problem for a servant.

Ragna had burst through the glass and was now standing horizontally on the windows like the others. "Lightning, this guy is tough. We'll have to coordinate our attacks"

The pink-haired girl nodded. "Agreed. Don't get cocky, we still don't know his true power."

Sephiroth smiled, looking down his nose at his opponents. "Haha! Come and try!"

Both servants came at him simultaneously, the black and silver warrior caught both strikes with the lengthy Masamune.

The duo's blades rebounded, Lightning attempted to strike again at his back as she passed. As before, Sephiroth easily turned to intercept her weapon. She locked her blade against his, leaving an opening for Ragna to strike.

The Blood Scythe came at him, the SOLDIER didn't have enough time to force her blade away and defend himself.

Clang!

Lightning's sword had stopped Ragna's! Sephiroth had angled his blade to force her forward and interrupt her own ally's attack. With his enemies in an awkward position, he slid along the woman's back and distanced himself from his adversaries.

* * *

Rin stared intently at the elevator doors. She knew Luvia was a close combat expert, but part of her was still anxious about this whole plan.

The doors parted, Luvia's broken form was flung out like a puppet that was violently torn off its strings.

Rin looked at her wounded ally, then she met her enemy's gaze. "You really are brutal, Bazett Fraga McRemitz!"

"Your friend here was quite the fighter herself, but even all her fancy moves were useless against rune-enhanced fists." Bazett adjusted her gloves without breaking eye contact. "You've certainly done your homework, it's only fair for me to know your name before I kill you."

"My name is Rin Tohsaka, and it is the last one you will ever learn." Rin said with an ambitious smile.

The Irish woman burst into a low sprint. Rin prepared her own reinforcement spell to block the attack. Bazett's fist connected with Rin's forearms, sending the girl sliding backwards.

The woman continued advancing. Rin danced backwards to avoid Bazett's jabs, without sufficient reinforcement, blocking another direct hit could break her arm. She stayed light on her feet, hoping for an opening before she ran out of roof.

Without warning, Bazett crouched low to the ground and took out both of Rin's legs with a sweep, continuing her spin all the way around, she raised her leg over her head and prepared to deliver an axe kick on her downed opponent.

Rin reacted instantly, rolling to the side just in time to avoid the attack. Her opponent's heel had cracked the concrete where her head was a split-second ago. Rin pushed off the ground and allowed the momentum of the roll to launch her into a mid-air corkscrew. Such a move would usually be impossible with the poor leverage of a ground roll, but the magus had learned to quickly modify her weight for such acrobatics.

The girl in red landed gracefully on her feet at the same time as her suited opponent managed to recover from investing all of her strength into the floor. Rin didn't gain a time advantage per se, but some distance between her and her opponent was still good to have.

"All that strength becomes useless once your opponent has room to dodge. Maybe you have a rune for accuracy too?" Rin taunted sarcastically.

"Dodge this!" Bazett screamed as she launched another barrage of punches.

Rin had memorized the rhythm of the attacks and unlike her earlier clumsy retreat, she effortlessly weaved through the rain of fists. _"You have to let the runes recharge eventually. Come on..."_ Rin had come up with a plan, she started to count in her head.

_"Three..."_

Punch.

_"Two..."_

Punch. Punch.

_"One..."_

Bazett noticed too late that the blue glow of her hands had faded. She threw another careless punch and Rin snatched it out of the air. The girl pulled on her wrist. Off-balance, Bazett could do nothing as Rin's palm connected with her face. Her head snapped back.

Rin let go of Bazett's arm and continued to push, forcing the stunned woman backwards and upwards. She jammed her finger into her opponent's undefended ribcage and fired a point-blank Gandr shot. There was a sickening crack. The injured woman staggered backwards, coughing up blood.

Seizing the opportunity, Rin went on the offensive and delivered two withering high kicks in rapid succession. Following up with a side kick to Bazett's midsection.

Bazett doubled over, Rin flipped forward and launched her foot at the back of Bazett's neck.

Forcing herself to move, Bazett tapped the runes on her shoes. With newfound strength, she flipped backwards, her outstretched foot made a brilliant blue arc that intersected with Rin's jaw. The girl was launched into the air. On her way down, a flying kick connected with her back. Rin bounced along the ground, her limp body rolled to a stop.

A pair of glowing dress shoes filled Rin's field of vision. She struggled to get up, but couldn't find the strength. One of her ribbons came undone as Bazett grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her up to eye level.

"Nice shot back there, too bad you couldn't finish me off. Now..."

Bazett's knee pulverized Rin's stomach.

"It's..."

Bazett elbowed Rin in the face.

"My turn!"

A pool of blood had begun to form under Rin. She looked up with weary eyes at her similarly battered opponent. Bazett was drawing a rune in the air with her free hand.

"Ansuz!"

Nothing happened. Bazett's triumphant look turned to confusion, then pain as her brain registered the feeling of having her finger broken. Moments ago, Rin had identified the rune and desperately batted at her opponent's outstretched hand.

Bazett shrieked and let go of Rin's hair. The girl landed on all fours, her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stand up straight. Bazett regained her composure, wincing slightly as she realigned the sickeningly bent finger.

* * *

"Pointless!" Sephiroth taunted as he blocked alternating attacks from Lightning and Ragna. His flow was excellent - he could deflect a slash from one opponent then immediately transition to engaging the other. The duo had tried every flanking maneuver, but the SOLDIER danced effortlessly, dodging their blades by mere inches then gracefully counterattacking.

It was like they were fighting on a vertical lake, Sephiroth's sword cut through the clear surface, sending shards of glass sparkling like droplets of water into the night sky. The black servant perched on one of the window frames and kicked off it, flying over to the roof of a mall. His opponents gave chase, leaping at him with blades ready to strike.

All three swords clashed simultaneously, Sephiroth held his ground effortlessly even with two servants pushing against him. Ragna launched a high kick, the SOLDIER was trapped by his enemies' weapons pressing against his own. The steel-toed boot sent Sephiroth spinning at it impacted. Lightning lunged forward, Sephiroth barely parried her stab, the Blazefire Saber nicked his cheek as he retreated.

Sephiroth felt the cut, then stared at the blood on his gloved hand. "Maybe you are worthy opponents after all."

"Tch. It took you that long to realize?" Ragna remarked as he straightened his collar.

Sephiroth flashed a cruel smile. "All that means is I'm going to be a lot more satisfied when I kill you!"

Lightning adjusted her ponytail and did a quick flourish with her blade. "Don't count on it. We've seen now that you're not invincible."

"Oh but I am." Sephiroth started to giggle, softly at first, then the volume increased until finally he threw his head back and let out a maniacal cackle. "I'll destroy you and the rest of this pathetic world!" The single dark wing appeared on his back again. "Behold my true power! Supernova!"

Sephiroth raised his arms to the sky. Ragna and Lightning watched in anticipation as his ultimate attack began...

At the outskirts of the solar system, a comet blazed through the Kuiper Belt. As it flew past Pluto it rained destruction on the dwarf planet, obliterating its Ultimate One. The comet roared through space, the Type of each planet rose up to oppose it but ultimately failed. Sephiroth did not have enough mana to completely destroy the planets, but the eldritch guardian of each world was wiped out. Even beings with no Earthly concept of death could not stand up to True Magic of this magnitude, and as the archetypal planet killer, Supernova easily inflicted massive damage on the representations of celestial bodies.

As it approached Earth, the dormant Type-Mercury awakened and flew into space in an attempt to fight it. The giant insectoid creature struggled against it for a few seconds before being vaporized.

Rin and Bazett stopped their brawl, distracted by the ball of flame looming above them.

"Sephiroth, what have you done?" Bazett whispered, a tear ran down her cheek. "I didn't think you could do something like this. Don't you love me?" She sensed an aura madness from her servant, sending her further into despair.

Ragna's eyes were wide with dread, each one reflected the object that was lighting up the night sky. Neither he nor Lightning had any kind of countermeasure to this.

"We are so fucked."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry about the long wait on this one, the time around Xmas and New Year's really screwed me over.

Just to clarify, Ragna's sword is officially called the Blood Scythe, so unless I actually mention that he's deploying the scythe mode, assume that it's in the sword form.

Will our heroes survive Sephiroth's ultimate attack? Will Rin and Luvia's partnership work out for the best? Find out next time on Fate/Azure Sky!


	5. White Requiem: Calamity Averted

**White Requiem: **Calamity Averted

The massive fireball loomed over the city, lighting it up like the midday sun. Civilians began to panic as they realized the inevitability of their situation. Masters and servants stared at it fearfully, knowing exactly what it was and its purpose.

A rose petal fluttered past Ragna's face, his eyes focused on it. "Rabbit?"

"I really shouldn't have expected for you to save this world by yourself, Ragna. Very well, looks like my status as the audience of this play is about to come to an end."

Rachel Alucard was perched at the top of the city's tallest skyscraper. Her long golden pigtails and gothic frills billowed in the howling wind. She looked up, unimpressed by Sephiroth's ultimate attack.

"Nulliplex restriction mechanism release. Dimensional interruption imaginary number developing. Connecting to congenital border. Activating Tsukuyomi Unit."

An intricate golden crest appeared over the city. The comet crashed into it and lit up even brighter as it struggled to push through.

"It's impossible, even you cannot defeat Tsukuyomi's absolute defense."

The immovable object defeated the seemingly unstoppable force. A brilliant light came from the comet as it detonated with a strength greater than a thermonuclear bomb. The blast was directed away from the city, nearby mountaintops were flattened, the rest of the energy escaped into space, creating a gleaming tower of light taller than any other feature on the planet, then collapsing into darkness again.

* * *

US Missile Defence. 1000 hours local time.

"Sir! Look at this!"

"My god! What is that?"

"We have no idea. It was detected entering the atmosphere only seconds ago, it's right above Japan."

"Why didn't anyone notice it before?"

"I must've been going at close to light speed. Oh shit it just exploded!"

"Get a damage report ASAP!"

"Imaging satellite is making a pass now... This is impossible... There's no signs of damage!"

"An airburst? It's not impossible, but the event at Tunguska still caused massive damage. This one was completely harmless!"

* * *

"My Supernova? What happened to it? NO! NOOOOOO!" Sephiroth screamed, stunned by the failure of his greatest power. His face twisted into a maniacal grin. "I can still kill you! I'll cut you all to pieces!"

He lunged and attacked furiously. His slashes were even faster and wilder than before. Ragna and Lightning spread out, but the SOLDIER bounced between them with extraordinary speed. The rooftop soon became completely lacerated by the super-sharp Masamune.

The duo jumped to a nearby office building with the third servant in close pursuit. Destroying the windows of yet another building as they entered, Ragna and Lightning split up and raced through the maze of cubicles.

"You can't hide from me!" Sephiroth shrieked as he walked with an elegant but predatory stride. "Blade Beam!"

The edge of the elongated Japanese blade shone with a blue glow. He swung it in a wide horizontal arc, releasing a projectile-like wave from it.

Everything in the expansive room was sliced perfectly. Cubicle walls collapsed, swivel chairs lost their backs, CRT monitors exploded, LCD ones just fell apart, the screens barely cracked by the neat bisection. The second wave was angled, the low end caused desks in half the room to give way, the high end blew out the fluorescent lights.

Lightning backflipped as the razor-sharp arcs came at her. She gracefully dodged each one by hair-widths. She didn't panic or try to rush, but losing focus for a fraction of a second could mean death.

Ragna lacked the reflexes to elaborately dodge like that, instead crashing through walls into side offices and up through the suspended ceiling. Each Blade Beam missed him by a mile.

Lightning handspringed backwards, stretching out vertically she planted her hand on a loose piece of debris by accident. Her grace vanished and she was slammed down on the floor in a heap.

She looked up... a glowing blue line was heading straight at her! Lightning rolled haphazardly, avoiding it at the last second and losing only a strand of hair.

Ragna struggled to keep up with the complexity, rolling between the blue guillotine-like blades. Two came at almost the same time, one at head height and the second at waist height. The red servant stopped retreating and leapt forward, corkscrewing between the waves.

A confusing mess of blue slashes confronted Ragna.

"Carnage..."

The Blood Scythe was surrounded by a dark aura and powered straight through the waves. Ragna continued his charge, screaming as he swung at Sephiroth.

"SCISSORS!"

The black servant blocked the slash. A surge of darkness erupted from Ragna's blade. Sephiroth took the full brunt of it, grimacing as it washed over his body.

"I'll devour ya!"

The Grim Reaper pumped more energy into his attack. The darkness intensified. His opponent began to look weakened. Sephiroth struggled against the attack, but for once brute strength did him no good. Instead he planted his foot into Ragna's stomach and grabbed his sword hand. He lay back and used the leverage to send Ragna flying over him and out through the shattered window.

Sephiroth's throw had taken Ragna out of the fight for now, but it left him vulnerable to another opponent. Lightning seized the opportunity and leaped at the supine servant.

"I'll make it qui-"

The blade flashed, ironically like lightning.

"You are still far too slow." Sephiroth said. He regarded the girl hanging helplessly on his sword for a second, then launched her off it with a flick of his wrist. The wounded servant flew over the rubble before being intercepted on the other side of the expansive room by Masamune's hilt impacting her mid-back.

"Even with my help, you fly slowly" Sephiroth whispered in her ear.

Lightning struggled to draw breath, the hit had forced her lungs to empty. She fell on all fours, barely supporting herself with her arms. Just as her breathing was about to return to normal, Sephiroth pressed his boot against the wound he inflicted earlier. Searing pain overwhelmed her body, Lightning's eyes went wide, she expelled the air she had just painfully taken in with a scream.

The SOLDIER rolled his victim over with a kick and held the tip of his sword poised over her throat.

"I'll be the one giving you a quick death today." He said coldly.

Lightning could only wheeze in response.

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

A red blur collided with Sephiroth, sending both him and Ragna through the broken window. The two swordsmen crashed onto the top floor of an almost empty parking garage. Fortunately for Sephiroth, he had disengaged from Ragna during the fall as the red servant had formed a crater where he landed.

Ragna dashed towards Sephiroth, bringing his massive sword down in an overheard swing. Sephiroth nonchalantly caught the attack with his blade.

"Still trying to oppose me?" He said in a calm but displeased tone.

"Damn right, I'll never let you win!"

"Heh. I can take my own victories."

Sephiroth shifted his center of mass under Ragna's and sent the red servant flying. He soared after his airborne target and flashed past him...

Sephiroth touched down elegantly, his dark wing fully formed again. Ragna hit the ground hard behind him. Eight streaks of blood sprayed from his chest.

"Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away." Sephiroth said as he turned around to face his downed opponent.

Ragna clenched his teeth, his whole body ached as he forced himself to stand. "Usually... that's a good idea..." He leaned against his sword and looked Sephiroth in the eye. "But I'm... like you... there's nothing... that I don't hate!"

Dark energy flowed around Ragna's blade.

"DISSIPATE!"

Ragna surged forward, the speed of his injured form caught Sephiroth off-guard. The darkness-enhanced Blood Scythe sliced into his chest. The SOLDIER felt more than just pain - he felt his life energy being drained.

Ragna continued wildly slashing his opponent. Each strike contributed to healing his own wounds. The power of Soul Eater was perfect for Ragna's incredible determination and tendency to be the underdog. The ability not only made his strikes more powerful, but also allowed him to recover from major injuries.

Sephiroth deflected whatever blows he could, but the tide of the battle had turned too far against him. Ragna knocked Sephiroth into the air with an upwards swing and followed him into the air in a reversal of the earlier situation.

"INFERNO DIVIDER!"

Ragna launched Sephiroth even higher with an upwards wave of dark energy.

"SHATTER!"

Ragna prepared to send Sephiroth flying downwards with an axe kick...

"Shadow flare!" Sephiroth shouted. A dark orb shot from his outstretched hand into Ragna's stomach.

The Grim Reaper flew in an arc, propelled upwards momentarily by the blast before gravity pulled him down again. He managed to do an ukemi as he crashed onto the asphalt of the parking garage and stylishly flipped to his feet.

Sephiroth floated down and staggered forward, clutching his chest wound with one hand while limply holding Masamune with the other. His wing dragged along the ground as he strained to walk.

"It's... not over... yet..." He said through gritted teeth.

"Tch. That's my line." Ragna remarked.

"Time to end it!" Lightning's voice came from behind Sephiroth. He turned around just in time to take an upwards slash from her Blazefire Saber.

The edge of the blade glowed with a golden light as she sliced him horizontally. Lightning continued her assault with a kick and two more slashes before skipping backwards while firing with the gun mode. Sephiroth was completely at her mercy, his only responses were to grunt from the pain and turn with the momentum of each strike. She flipped towards her opponent, bringing her foot down on his head and following up with a whirlwind kick to his ribs. He hunched over and leaned on his sword, barely able to stand.

Lightning spun with her sword outstretched, finishing Sephiroth with multiple cuts in quick succession.

Masamune clattered to the ground. Sephiroth fell to his knees before finally collapsing forward.

* * *

The two masters circled each other. Both had blood on their faces and clothes, both still had the resolve to continue.

"Heh. You're definitely a strong magus. This must be why the association uses you as an enforcer." Rin commented. She pulled off her remaining ribbon and pocketed it.

"You're not so bad yourself, I'm surprised you're still standing after that last hit." Bazett said, adjusting her gloves and tie.

"How much longer do you think we can brutalize each other?" Rin asked jokingly.

"Not long, we just used a lot of mana, and even a proficient magus would be pretty drained by now. " Bazett explained.

A victorious smile crept across Rin's lips. "Don't be so sure about that!" She screamed as she hurled a sapphire at her opponent.

"Fragarach!"

The jewel shattered harmlessly in front of Bazett. An orb hovered over her outstretched hand. Suddenly it shot at Rin like a laser. The girl jumped to the side but the attack managed to graze her left arm.

Rin yelped and clutched at the injury. She overcame the pain and sprinted sideways while launching another jewel.

Bazett pulled out another orb. "It's useless! Fragarach!"

Again the strange weapon nullified her attack and countered with a lance of light. This time it scraped her thigh, ripping a hole in her already tattered stocking.

"Throw your last pathetic jewel so we can finish this!" Bazett said mockingly. She was confused by her ultimate weapon's inaccuracy, but confident that Rin's reduced mobility would ensure a direct hit with her final orb.

Rin's leg burned, she'd have to take the next hit head-on, but it was the only way to defeat the Noble Phantasm. She wearily lobbed the red jewel with her remaining strength. It barely made it to her opponent, but Bazett activated her counter anyway, it was safer than risking the effects of the jewel's detonation near her.

"Fragarach!"

Rin gasped from the pain. The force of the counterattack pushed her to the ground. Fragarach had pierced her like a bullet and left a clean hole all the way through her waist.

Bazett noticed her downed opponent's ragged breathing. "How can you still be alive? The Fragarach is a lethal blow but you took three of them and only became incapacited!"

"Nghh... It only... works right... if you counter my strongest move." Rin said, panting.

"Impossible! Those jewels weren't your trump card?"

Rin rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up. She staggered to her feet and spat out a glob of blood. "Those cheap rocks? Luvia specifically gave me her weakest jewels so that I could make you waste your Noble Phantasm."

Bazett's eyes widened as she realized her error. "Against any attack but the strongest, Fragarach counters weakly. How could you possibly know?"

"It sucks having a unique power. The Association keeps records of people like you in case they ever decide to lock you up for... research."

Bazett took a step back. Her opponent could barely stand, but this revelation meant that she could have virtually anything up her sleeve.

Rin straightened up and produced one of her real jewels. Focusing her will into it, she discharged all of the mana she had stored.

The brilliant emerald beam impaled Bazett much like Fragarach had done to Rin moments ago. But in this case the power was sufficient to smash Bazett through the barrier surrounding the rooftop...

* * *

Sephiroth lay dying on the top floor of the parking garage. Neither Ragna not Lightning moved to finish him, but he expected to fade away on his own before they got the chance.

Suddenly, his eyes focused on a speck plummeting down the side of the hotel.

"Bazett!"

With newfound strength, Sephiroth stood up and darted towards his falling master. The servant soared through the air and caught her in his arms, flying through the already broken window of their hotel room. He carried her across the room, setting her down on the one spot on the floor not covered with debris.

Bazett half-opened her eyes and looked up. She dreaded seeing the psychotic visage, but she only saw the kind green eyes she fell in love with.

"Sephiroth?" she murmured as she reached up to touch his face.

"Yes. It's me." Sephiroth replied, placing his hand over hers.

Tears began to flow from Bazett's eyes. "Sephiroth, I'm so sorry that I lost. I failed you and your wish - our wish."

He soothingly stroked her hair. "It's ok, I'm glad to have known you, even for a short time."

Bazett gave a sad smile. "I... don't regret any of it. You're the kindest, strongest, most beautiful servant I could've asked for. You really are my hero, Sephiroth." she whispered. "Please... can you... finish that kiss from before?"

Sephiroth looked into Bazett's eyes one last time before she closed them. She felt his lips press softly against hers. Using the last of her strength, she pulled him close and returned the kiss.

She never felt the black feather brush against her cheek as the one-winged angel disintegrated.

Lightning witnessed the dead master lying in a pile of feathers. With the death confirmed, she headed for the roof.

* * *

The two servants checked on their masters, Luvia had come to shortly after Bazett's fall. Lightning helped her up and they walked over to their companions.

"Aww I missed all the fun." Luvia said as she rubbed the back of her head. Apart from being knocked out, she didn't sustain any major injuries.

Rin gave her a mean look. "If you could call it that."

"Rin, are you alright?" Ragna asked, looking worriedly at her blood-soaked clothes. As a fellow wearer of red, he could easily tell that Rin's top was covered in blood, although he could only guess how much of it wasn't hers.

"Nghh... I'm fine. I already stopped the bleeding."

Rin took two trembling steps forward and collapsed. Ragna frantically dashed to her just in time for her to fall into his arms.

"Rin!"

"Our first win." she whispered into his ear. "I'd like to think... that not every battle... will hurt as much as this one."

The girl went limp. Dread surged through Ragna's mind for a moment, but he relaxed when he felt Rin's breath against his cheek.

"Will you two get a room already?" Luvia said sarcastically.

Ragna scowled at her. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let me guess, you're gonna carry her home like a princess in one of those movies?"

"In this case it's kinda justified." Ragna said, indicating Rin's current state.

Ragna scooped up Rin's legs with one arm and used the other to support her back. He nodded goodbye to the other duo and began hopping across rooftops back towards the mansion.

* * *

Rin barely stirred as Ragna carefully placed her on the comfy bed. He knew from the prior battle that his master was tough as nails, but now he noticed the fragility of her form. His hands traced the smooth white skin, feeling around the wounds. The bleeding had stopped long ago, but to be safe he disinfected and wrapped them. Rin moaned slightly in her sleep as the antiseptic burned.

Finally, Ragna covered her with a blanket. The sleeping girl smiled, comforted by his warm touch and the soft covering. Then he reclined on a nearby armchair and drifted off.

* * *

**Author's note:**

The Americans will be forever mystified by this and probably won't come up in this story again.

I chose Sephiroth's attack to be kind of a mashup of Meteor and Supernova. I needed it to be the ultimate planet killer but also to precisely strike the area where they were fighting. Plus the original Supernova animation is overkill even for a Noble Phantasm.

In case anyone is wondering, the Sephiroth summoned here is the version that exists in the lifestream. He is manifesting through Bazett's mind instead of Cloud's and is therefore affected by her thought patterns. Because of her fangirl tendencies, he tends to be nicer and more romantic although his megalomania does show when her control over him slips during the fight.


	6. Different Rules: Emiya's Failure

**Different Rules **– Emiya's Failure

He reminisced about that night, the hellish fire, the glorious destruction and his own brush with death, only to be saved by a dark miracle.

* * *

10 years ago...

Scorch marks covered the park. Two red servants raced through it, exchanging blows. In the center Kiritsugu and Kirei were exhausted from their personal battle.

Kirei lunged forward desperately, throwing a spread of Black Keys.

Emiya appeared behind Kotomine.

"Too slow."

The bullet exploded out of the priest's chest. His face contorted with pain. Kirei stumbled forward and fell on his face. His rival looked down at the limp body stoically before walking off.

"The master is dead, make sure the same goes for the servant, Mario." Kiritsugu commanded.

Mario straightened his hat. The Rider-class had already lost his steed, but even without it he had more than enough power to take down his opponent.

The other servant's face was hidden in shadow, but the red-clad man was clearly smiling. "Let us see who is the true master of fire, plumber!"

Even with his heart destroyed, Kirei Kotomine was still conscious. For a brief moment, he could've sworn that he saw the Grail appear before his eyes...

Two shafts of searing flame collided over Kirei's head. The mana stored in the sacred container detonated, creating a fireball that engulfed the entire Shinto district.

The priest awoke, he was briefly startled by the feeling of a heartbeat in his chest again. The look of surprise quickly became an evil smirk.

Kiritsugu wandered through the burning city. Death surrounded him and he was powerless to prevent it. A young boy lay dying at his feet, but the master could not save him. The power of Avalon was cut off by the Grail anomaly and he had no choice but to leave Shirou to die...

* * *

"Kotomine-sama!" the voice of the maid pierced the flashback.

The robed man snapped out of his daze. His eyes focused on his servant. "Yes, Sakuya?"

"I have just observed an engagement. Saber and Rider have successfully defeated Lancer. Lancer's master has also been killed."

"I really expected more from them, especially when his comet almost destroyed the city."

"It was stopped by an associate of Ragna the Bloodedge - a vampire aristocrat not unlike my former master. I have reason to believe that Ragna himself is partially vampiric, so I may have some understanding of his powers."

"Excellent, make sure to inform me if you think of any ways to maximize his destructive potential."

"As you wish, Kotomine-sama. Will there be anything else?"  
"Why is it that you never address me as master?"

"No matter what kind of contract we have, my loyalty lies with the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion first. Therefore, I will not use a term of the same level for you."

"I must agree, considering the magus to be a master is mostly a formality. After all, you have your own reason for wanting to win."

Kotomine picked up a book of poetry. He flicked through the pages and found a suitable quote:

"I have spread my dreams beneath your feet... Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

"An interesting view, Kotomine-sama." Sakuya commented.

"It's appropriate - the master and servant both have their wishes. Their greatest desires rest in their partner's hands."

"So much potential for tragedy and failure." Sakuya lamented.

The robed man let out a slight chuckle. "That's the beauty of it." His laughter threatened to intensify, but it died off and his face returned to a calm, sly smile. "Speaking of failure, see what happened with Caster's attempt at cheating..."

* * *

"Gee! It sure is boring around here!"

"PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!" The blue-haired boy shouted at the top of his lungs. He paced around the lounge room of the Matou mansion, trying to comprehend the bizarre situation.

"It's your own fault, Shinji-kun. You were the one who suggested summoning a servant of my own." Caster responded. The witch had long silky black hair worn up, her blue-grey eyes were covered by a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. She wore a skin-tight leather outfit that hugged every curve of her statuesque body. Her high-heels emphasised the length of her legs further, and each one had an elaborate pink and gold pistol built into it. Every movement she made was seductive, even the way she sat with her legs crossed looked like an invitation.

"Well it's your incompetence that got us this... thing instead of a normal servant. I thought you said you could do summonings, Bayo." Shinji said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I mean look at it!"

"Hi! I'm Link!" The servant said enthusiastically. It vaguely resembled a blonde-haired male human dressed in green. However there was something off about its face - it had a creepy blank stare, like a poorly-made doll.

"Well this is new, he actually said his name instead of complaining about boredom or hunger." Bayonetta commented. She took off her glasses and placed her palm over her face. "Maybe I summoned a weirdo servant because you're such an inept master."

"Hey! Remember who's in charge here!"

The witch flashed a sultry glance at her master. "Well _somebody_ is unable to satisfy me. I have to get a lot more mana... and some other things I _really_ need."

Shinji blushed and stammered. "W-what the hell do you mean by that?"

"Nevermind, Shinji-kun. I remember you mentioning that servants can get mana by draining life force. Where can we find a place with enough healthy victims?"

An evil smile crept across the boy's lips. " I know just the place."

"Check it out! I can do the duck walk!" Link interrupted.

The master and relatively sane servant stared with bemusement as the green-clad boy embarrassed himself further.

* * *

Torchlight flickered throughout the church. Several figures had gathered before the altar, all dressed in Burial Agency robes.

"There has been increasing Dead Apostle activity, I suspect that the phenomenon know as TATARI will manifest soon" The blue-haired woman said.

"Indeed, Elesia. The omens are clear. Misaki appears to be the manifestation point. You will go there and neutralize the threat. Riesbyfe will stand by on the outskirts and assist Elesia or pursue the target as required." The leader explained.

The silver-haired woman objected. "But your Eminence, Caren would be far better-"

The leader cut her off. "Caren, you will be deployed to Fuyuki. The Grail War appears to be undergoing some kind of anomaly. You are to observe any strange occurrences and you have clearance to attack servants and masters at your discretion. You also have my authorization should you deem it necessary to destroy the Holy Grail to protect the world from evil."

"As you wish, your Eminence." the blonde known as Caren answered. She had secretly hoped to be assigned to this mission. The others would only interfere in her investigation of her father - the local priest.

The three women walked out, their robes flowing along the stone floor.

"Too bad, Caren. Looks like you're stuck as a second babysitter for the Grail war." The one referred to as Elesia said.

"Speak for yourself, Ciel. I have my own reasons for preferring this assignment over your little hunt."

* * *

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg walked along the battered rooftop. He looked old for a vampire, with short grey hair and a face that had begun to show the wear of time before he was turned. But the vampiric features were still present, like the piercing red eyes and a taste for gothic clothing. His cape billowed in the wind as he strode towards the stone barrier.

The magician looked over the city, he smiled proudly at the accomplishments of his pupil's descendant. She was doing well in this war, and the servant she summoned would be invaluable in saving this world as well as others.

A second man joined him on the edge. The blonde vampire didn't even look at the old man, instead scanning the city with the pools of blood that were his eyes. Then he looked up at the moon as a melancholic smile crept across his lips.

"Blue blue glass moon, under the crimson air..."

"That's Arcueid's favorite poem. You still remember it after all these centuries?" Zelretch asked.

"It's beautifully tragic, like the story being played out now." Wallachia replied. "You arranged this whole thing. Didn't you, Zelretch?"

The old magician shifted his weight, folding his arms and leaning on the barrier. "That I did. Do you think there's been a change?"

"Undoubtedly, the intervention of Rachel Alucard and the threat to the planet has shifted all potential outcomes. If the war continues as predicted, the effect should be sufficient to generate a survivable future." Wallachia explained.

"Huh. Kinda ironic, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"That servant, Ragna the Bloodedge. He was made to be the destroyer of his world, but instead he'll end up saving both his and ours... maybe even a few more."

"You forget, Zelretch. I'm a master of alchemy. I think I know the outcome you're betting on, and at this point the master and servant are extremely unlikely to achieve it."

Zelretch looked up at the moon again, smiling optimistically. "You never know, Zepia. These servants that were summoned obey different rules. There's always the possibility of an unknown factor being introduced."

The vampire's heart was jolted by the utterance of his human name. The sorcerer's words sank in, giving Wallachia a glimmer of hope. "Let us go then, my plan finally nears completion at the end of a thousand years." With that, Wallachia vaulted over the edge of the building and disappeared into the night with a flourish of his cape.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Just a short interlude chapter to explain a few things like the lack of Shirou's usual antics and do a few "meanwhile in X" scenes.

For those who are wondering, the reason Wallachia isn't going psycho is because he's talking to people who he's not hostile against. If he does get any fight scenes in this, expect his usual KATTO! craziness.


	7. Resentful Gluttony : Perverse Lust

**Resentful Gluttony **/ Perverse Lust

A carton of milk and a few nearly empty jars stood in the dark fridge. The sparse food products were illuminated as the door swung open. Ragna's eyes scanned every level. Unsatisfied, the servant sighed and closed the door.

"She's really disorganized. We need to go shopping for proper ingredients. Fast." Ragna said to himself. "Tch. I'm one to talk - I haven't stuck around one place for a long time now, I'll probably be just as bad if I keep living here."

Finally, Ragna settled on toast and cereal with milk. There was no shortage of drinks though, as Rin's tea stash could easily last the rest of the year. Arranging Rin's portion on a tray, he prepared to take it to her room. The last time he saw his master she was injured from an intense fight, so he decided to give her breakfast in bed.

As he picked up the tray, he heard a voice behind him.

"Morning, Ragna. Was that really all the food we have left?"

Ragna turned around surprised to see his master up so early. "Rin? How the hell are you walking around? You could barely stand last night."

"I'm as surprised as you are, I didn't expect to be fully healed by morning. I guess my connection to you speeds up my regeneration." Rin explained.

"Good to hear, but don't rely on it all the time. Speaking from experience, even with the enhanced healing it's still a bitch to recover from major wounds."

"I'll be going to school today. I want you to observe from a nearby rooftop and be ready to fight."

"Hmm... alright, we should go to the store on the way back. If you can get me some quality meat I'll be able to make something good."

Rin finished her meal and got up to leave.

"Rin, wait a sec!" Ragna called.

The girl stopped and glanced back at him. "Hmm?"

Ragna rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a black silk ribbon. "I found this on the rooftop, you must've lost it during your little brawl. Fortunately I managed to find it before it got blown off the edge."

She blushed, her gaze on him softened. "M-my ribbon... thank you, Ragna." Rin said as she look it hesitantly from his hand. She averted her eyes and began tying up her pigtails.

"You look good." Ragna commented nonchalantly as he began clearing the table.

Rin's face went even redder but she tried to hide it as best she could. "Th-thanks." She preened her hair, hoping that Ragna was still looking. Satisfied with her hairstyle, she left for school.

Once the servant had finished cleaning up, he activated his concealment ars and followed Rin outside.

* * *

Rin considered skipping school for Grail War reasons to be perfectly acceptable, but she had to attend on some days at least. If she didn't maintain her public image as the top student, people could become suspicious.

She passed through the gate leading into the school. Suddenly, she felt emptiness and nausea, it was as though the air itself was dead.

_"Damn it... Someone's using a bounded field to drain the life force of everyone in the school... It's in a late stage of construction so it's going to activate soon... If I hadn't skipped those days I could've stopped it sooner..."_

"Hey Tohsaka! Why are you spacing out like that?" Ayako's voice interrupted Rin's thoughts, snapping her out of her spiralling dread.

"Mitsuzuri! Good morning!" She replied.

"Wow you're really sleep-deprived, Rin. Is it because of that hot guy?" Ayako asked suggestively.

"There's nothing going on between us!" Rin replied.

"Oh really? Yesterday on my way to school I saw you walking around with Ragna and two other girls. You were out the whole night, weren't you?"

Rin really had been out that night, she had been showing Luvia the city and planning their fight against Bazett. She searched her brain for a lie to cover herself.

Ayako's mind raced in a different direction. Her eyes went wide with glee as she reached her own conclusion...

"You didn't?" The brunette asked.

"I didn't what?" Rin asked hesitantly.

"You totally had a foursome! Wow, Ragna is a really lucky guy!"

"WHAAAA-" the twin tailed girl screamed. Her entire face flushed bright crimson.

Despite Rin being slightly shorter, she towered over Ayako, who was leaning back as the enraged girl moved her face close to her friend's. "You crazy perverted girl! Quit making guesses about my love life! Especially really dirty ones like that!"

"Hey! I was just kidding!" Ayako rubbed the back of her head. A drop of sweat appeared on her face.

The chiming of the bell interrupted them. Rin gave Ayako a threatening stare and headed off to class.

* * *

"It's almost time, Shinji-kun." Bayonetta said.

The master and two servants stood ready on the roof of the school. The Caster's energy-draining field was almost complete.

Shinji imagined the power it would bring him. He was the only master to have command of two servants, and with all these victims they could become more powerful than anything the other masters have.

The distorted servant referred to as Link stared blankly as usual, unaware of any ideas more complex than fighting, eating or sleeping.

"When the field goes up, I'll need you two with me. I know there's at least one other master in the school." Shinji said.

"The field won't affect anyone who is capable of even basic magecraft." Bayonetta explained.

Shinji smiled and clenched his fist. "Then we attack on sight, maybe we'll get lucky and her servant isn't with her."

Bayonetta looked over her glasses, meeting her master's eyes. "You fight dirty, so there's at least one thing I like about you."

* * *

The cafeteria was crowded as usual. Everyone was chatting amongst themselves as they ate lunch, unaware that mages or the Grail War even existed.

"Has anyone seen Matou-kun?" one archery club member asked.

"I think I saw him this morning. But he wasn't in class... weird." another one replied.

"I'll find him, there's some club matters I wanted to discuss with him anyway." Ayako said and got up to leave.

Rin had overheard the conversation. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

_"Shinji? I suspected that the Matou family was involved in the war. Could he be another master?"_

Rin tried to plan a way to subtly extract herself from the cafeteria and go after Ayako. She'd have to follow stealthily. She hated lying to her friend, but her duties as a magus took precedence.

Suddenly, everything went red. It was like the room was flooded with raspberry juice, although Rin could still move and breathe normally. Everyone else collapsed on the floor within moments. Discarding subtlety, the magus jumped to her feet, sending the chair she was previously sitting on sliding across the floor. Her coat rippled as she spun around and sprinted down the hallway.

She heard something coming from the stairs leading up to the roof. Rin pressed her back against the wall next to the staircase and listened...

"Shin...ji? P-please... help... me-AAAAAAAHHH!"

A series of sickening thuds followed the scream. Footsteps echoed down the stairs, stopping at the landing between floors.

"Pathetic."

There was a sound from another impact. Ayako's body limply rolled down the stairs and into Rin's view. She gritted her teeth, seeing someone hurt a friend like this made her blood boil. Her shooting finger twitched with rage. Overcome with emotion, she did something stupid...

"You bastard! She was completely helpless!" Rin jumped out from behind cover and raised her hand, ready to perforate Shinji with Gandr shots. "I'll ki-"

A hand covered her mouth. Her shot went wide of its mark as her arm was seized. Shinji stepped quickly down the stairs and admired his prize.

"Don't let her speak. I need to be sure that she can't use the command spell to call for help."

"Oh boy!" Link exclaimed as he tightened his grip on the girl.

Shinji brought his face close to Rin's. "Don't resist, or I'll have him break your arm."

Rin tried to scream, but the servant's hand muffled her cries for help.

Bayonetta elegantly strolled down the stairs. "This is the girl you wanted so badly?"

"Yeah, and now she's completely helpless."

The witch gave her master a look of disgust. "You're sick. I'm not gonna stop you, but I'm not having any part in this."

"Whatever! Go snack on some students." Shinji looked Rin up and down and smirked. "And you can take your time."

_"Damn it! How could I fall into such an obvious trap?" _ Rin thought. She had been outmaneuvered and was now powerless to save herself. All her confidence had left her, replaced by terror. She struggled ineffectually, her strength and training was more than enough to defeat Shinji, but with his servant restraining her there was nothing she could do. Even a second of freedom would be enough to jump out of the nearest window and then nothing could keep her from regrouping with Ragna and attacking at full strength.

Shinji's hands traced her curves, moving over her body like disgusting spiders. The boy cackled maniacally - despite his perverted lust for her, he also felt an envious hatred for the clearly superior mage.

"Not so strong without your servant. Are you?" His eyes met hers. Both pairs were wide - his from depravity, hers from dread. "The proud Tohsaka heiress. You always rejected me, but now you're mine and this time... you _can't_ say no!"

Shinji squeezed hard, causing Rin to let out a muffled yelp. The pervert was only encouraged by this reaction.

"What a dirty moan, you're secretly liking this." He groped her forcefully with both hands. Rin winced, the feeling of those clammy fingers on her made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to vomit, but the rough hand over her mouth would cause her to gag if she did.

_"Save me, Ragna... please... I-I..."

* * *

_

Bayonetta strode with poise through the hallway, her glasses reflecting the crimson tinge of the life-draining field. The bodies of dying students and teachers littered the ground. Killing innocents was unstylish and far too easy for a witch of her caliber, but she had to do it - her survival and the fulfilment of her ultimate wish depended on it.

"That poor girl, stuck with a totally inept pervert. He'll never figure out how to satisfy anyone but himself." The servant said, thinking out loud.

She stopped suddenly, her whole body stiffening. The bounded field's primary purpose was to drain the life force of those inside, but it also detected any intruders with sufficiently high mana.

"A servant? Two of them?" Bayonetta's eyes widened, she expected a master and servant team, but two servants operating independently presented far more unpredictability. "Hmm. It would be interesting to be in the middle of this sandwich." She adjusted her glasses and smiled. "But seeing Shinji-kun's face when one of them ruins his fun would be even better."

A voice came from behind her.

"Feeling hungry, servant Caster? You should talk to the servant who is about to violently interrupt your master - he's a great chef. Although I'm not too bad myself..."


	8. Church Agents: Secret Contestant

**Church Agents **- Secret Contestant

The basement of the Matou mansion was much larger than the Tohsaka mansion, but far less elaborate in its furnishings. There were no books kept down here, only instruments of torture. The floor was stained with blood as well as unknown disgusting fluids of a sickly color. The thick stench of decay would ravage the nasal passages of whoever dared to breathe in this lair of evil. The walls themselves were like a morgue, with holes to store corpses - food for Matou's worm familiars.

The decrepit man was not fazed by any of this, his abode was a familiar place. He was similar to a vampire, but unlike Zelretch or Wallachia, the passing of time had withered him. With skin the color of diseased grey matter, the wrinkles on his bald head made it resemble an exposed brain.

"I can feel it... this war will lead to the summoning of the grail. My plans for Sakura will soon come to fruition. True immortality, and I will be in control of the greatest master and servant of all - Sakura with her unlimited power as the Grail personified, and the shining angel of destruction who will annihilate all who dare defy us. It was unlikely, but extremely fortunate that the servant was trapped in the Grail during the third war. His presence there connected us to these strange worlds; providing a source for all the new and unexpected servants, and making my plan possible again." The end of Zouken's monologue was punctuated by a hacking cough.

He groaned and stood up achingly. The chair he had been sitting on was once an expensive piece of furniture, but the wood was splintered and the cushion had been almost completely eaten away. He spat out a glob of semisolid purple tissue and traced a summoning circle with it.

"You've had your fun, Shinji. Now let me have the body of that absurd fake servant. I will show you the power of a true Archer."

Mana didn't so much flow as ooze through Zouken's ancient Magic Circuits. The circle began to glow.

"Ye first, O silver, O iron. O stone of the foundation..."

A female voice behind the Matou patriarch interrupted his chant. "That's an interesting ritual, heretic. Mind if I try?"

Zouken started to turn around. "Who the hell are-"

The entire basement was illuminated by the holy light of an exorcism...

* * *

Poems reflected in the brown eyes. Kotomine contemplated the state of the Grail War. Every side wanted a piece of the action. The glorious conflict - so much death and suffering... and much more to come.

His lips mouthed the words. "The falcon cannot hear the falconer..."

He knew about the church agent dispatched here and her relation to him. She was kind and pure, but that naiveté made her vulnerable to the Grail - she did not know of the evil trapped inside. If she fought and won, her benign wish to help the world would be twisted into chaos. She was loyal to the Church, but the temptation of such great power; especially for a supposedly selfless act, would undoubtedly cause her to break ranks and follow her own path.

The robed man's eyes scanned down the text. "Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned..."

Soon enough, the abomination within the Grail would be released - the most taboo of creatures free to wreak havoc on the world. Kotomine smiled and kept reading. The priest's gambit was about to pay off. All he had to do was wait... and give the right pushes to the final pawns at the right time.

Only then would the Grail be within his grasp...

* * *

**Author's note:**

This is just a quick interlude. I only put in the cliffhanger in the previous chapter because I needed to explain some stuff.

This chapter may resemble stream of consciousness style. That was intentional - even the slight inconsistencies.


	9. Flowering Night : Masters of Time

**Flowering Night - **Masters of Time

Rin was beginning to lose hope. The bounded field had dulled her mana sense and she couldn't tell if anyone was coming for her. The servant's grip was far too strong and the hand over her mouth prevented her from calling for help. She began to resign herself to her horrible fate...

"HELL'S!"

Shinji stopped, his eyes went wide as he looked towards the source of the noise. His tongue was less than an inch from Rin's neck, making him look like a dog that had tried to sample roadkill and got lit up by the headlights of an incoming truck...

"FANG!"

Ragna's fist connected, launching Shinji down the hallway like a ragdoll. The limp body tumbled end over end then slid to a stop. The Grim Reaper spun around and continued his assault, firing a wave of dark energy up from the floor, the green servant let go of Rin and brought up his shield. The girl got clear, her servant's attack had little horizontal spread, but she didn't want to get caught in it by accident.

The darkness obscured Link's vision, giving Ragna the chance to force the shield down with an axe kick, and follow up with a backspin kick that sent Link flying.

Shinji spat out a piece of broken tooth and struggled to his feet. "Nghh... Saber you bastard!"

"You're too pathetic to even have a chance with Rin! Try to taste her again and I'll rip your goddamn tongue out!" Ragna barked.

"Rag... na?" Rin leaned against the wall and looked at her savior with tearful eyes. She blinked away the tears and smiled - he was real and kicking ass. "Ragna!"

The red servant turned to her and grinned back. At that exact moment, the bounded field collapsed and golden sunlight streamed through the window, causing Ragna's teeth to shine heroically. "Sorry about the timing, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you deal with these creeps alone."

"We can still beat them! Link!" Shinji shouted.

"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!" The strange servant pulled out a cartoonish bomb - round, black and with the fuse already lit despite being in his pocket the whole time.

Link flung the explosive with all the strength his twitching arms could muster. It sailed through the air like a fastball, turning end over end. With one fluid motion, Ragna materialized his blade and deflected the bomb, sending it out the window. The blast shook the building and blew out the remaining windows, but no one was injured.

"Wow you must be a crappy magus if you summoned that thing." Ragna remarked.

Shinji smirked. "That's not mine, it's Caster's screwed up attempt to summon another servant, it looks like a clown, but it boosts our numbers."

"Watch out, I have no idea what Caster can do, let's just hope she doesn't show up now." Rin said.

Ragna readied his blade. "Well she ain't around here now so I say we kill the freak... and finish off that servant."

The green and red servants approached each other. Suddenly, Link stopped. His whole body spasmed wildly. Ragna took a cautious step back, fearing that the fake servant could become unstable and explode.

"Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!"

Link twitched more that before, his body alternated between being twisted into impossible shapes and relatively normal.

"Ohboy!Ohboy!Ohboy!Ohboy!"

The inane phrase was repeated faster and faster until it merged into a long burst of static. Link's body appeared to be a glitching video game sprite - a random mix of his main colors painted on a form that didn't look physically possible. His body split open like a cocoon, releasing a torrent of pixellated blood.

A Link-shaped figure emerged, the blood fell off it and dissolved with the rest of the fake servant's remains.

The new Link stood before them. Whereas the previous one was cartoonish and imbecilic, this one resembled a true noble hero. His face was proportioned like a normal anime human. He had far better control over his body, lacking the unsettling twitching of his CD-i counterpart.

The True Archer bowed his head towards the patch of floor where his host had disintegrated. Then, paying no mind to the master and servant, he leapt out the window.

"Hmmm... that must be the true master of Archer summoning his servant properly." Rin explained as she straightened up her dark pigtails.

Ragna mirrored her action and ran his fingers through his white hair. "Wow, too bad pervert-boy ran away during the commotion. It would've been fun to see how long he lasts without backup."

* * *

"A maid? And just when I thought this Grail War couldn't become any more of a fetish carnival." Bayonetta remarked.

Sakuya adjusted her braids. "At least I have a theme, you just pile on titillation and hope for the best."

"Well it definitely worked, my master almost creamed his pants when he summoned me, what about yours?"

"Unfortunately my summoner seems to be asexual - his lusts lie in destruction, not pleasure."

"That's too bad. Would you like my help, darling?"

"You're my type, but I'm afraid this isn't a H-game. We'll have to decide who is better with weapons."

The maid pulled out eight knives - one in each space between the fingers. She launched them in a simple pattern.

Bayonetta fired the two guns in her hands, knocking away all of the knives with ease.

Sakuya responded with a more complex pattern, this time sixteen knives, with eight more following less than a second later.

Bayonetta cartwheeled through the spread, avoiding every one. She stood up straight and pushed up her glasses with the handle of her pistol. The witch spun like a breakdancer, firing all four of her guns. Sakuya maneuvered through the sweeps of bullets, bouncing off the walls and ceiling at blinding speeds.

The witch focused her fire, but her opponent was far too fast. Sakuya sprinted along the wall, then kicked off and flew straight at Bayonetta.

The two servants crashed to the ground, Sakuya was lying on top with a knife pointed at Bayonetta's throat.

"Your danmaku is impressive. The usage of four guns looks difficult, but you make it work somehow." The killer maid said.

Bayonetta looked up and smiled. "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme - all the firepower a girl needs."

"You have a cooking fetish? You really would go well with Ragna."

The sound of a body violently impacting something distracted Sakuya for a moment. That was all Bayonetta needed to materialize a giant fist and knock the maid off her. The witch then bolted for the nearest window and crashed through it.

Once Caster had left the bounded field, it collapsed. Assassin chased after her down the street and into a half-finished shopping mall. The two servants tore through the construction site, draining the life force of any hapless workers they encountered.

* * *

Bayonetta stalked through the central open area, expecting the stealthy servant to ambush her at any time.

"Illusion Existence: Clock Corpse."

A curtain of knives appeared right in front of Caster, she fired wildly, creating a hole big enough to roll through.

Footsteps echoed behind Bayonetta. The maid could've been silent, but she no longer needed surprise. "Those who watch their backs meet death from the front."

The witch spun around. "How did you?"

Sakuya produced a pocket watch and looked at it. "Mastery of time is a convenient skill for a maid... or an assassin." She replaced the watch in her pocket and crouched low.

Bayonetta leveled her pistols at her opponent. Suddenly, Sakuya burst forward and slashed upwards with a knife. The black-clad servant deflected it with the superstrong barrel of her pistol. Sakuya spun around and swung horizontally with a second knife. Bayonetta danced backwards, the blade barely missing her breasts.

Sakuya continued to advance...

Flash. Flash.

Sparks flew as blades collided with guns. Sakuya was insanely fast, twirling her knives to change the grip between each strike and still having ample time to launch attacks before Bayonetta could recover.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

The maid introduced a third knife, juggling it to confuse her opponent.

Without warning, a knife appeared above the black servant, coming down like the Sword of Damocles. She reflexively blocked it, leaving her ribs exposed to a jumping roundhouse kick that sent her flying into a pillar. The impact demolished it and she fell to the floor.

Knives stuck into the floor one after the other - a line heading straight for the downed servant. Bayonetta rolled sluggishly, but it was enough to get out of the way just in time. The witch shakily got to her feet.

"Strange Art: Illusional Misdirection."

Sakuya threw out a spread of smaller red daggers, followed by several waves of her normal ones. Bayonetta dodged and weaved through the curtains of projectiles, only to discover that the new red type has an interesting property - it bounces off walls. Soon she was completely surrounded by them. Sakuya smiled as the enemy servant was obscured by the sheer amount of daggers.

The sounds of two explosions came from inside the storm of daggers, blowing away the entire salvo.

Sakuya's eyes went wide. "Multiple Noble Phantasms?"

Bayonetta strode out of the smoke, carrying a pair of huge rocket launchers. "And I've got more where that came from - Shuraba!"

The rocket launchers dissolved, replaced by a katana decorated with blood-red markings. Caster charged at Assassin, brandishing the sword over her head.

Sakuya effortlessly caught the blade with one hand. "It's useless."

She pulled the sword from Bayonetta's grip and threw it away. Then she unleashed a withering barrage of punches.

"Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless!"

Bayonetta took the whole flurry, the last punch sent her stumbling backwards.

"The world! Time has stopped."

Colors became inverted. Sakuya threw three waves of knives, all of which stopped in midair due to frozen time.

"And time has begun again..."

The knives regained their speed, sticking into Bayonetta like a pincushion.

"Road roller!"

A large yellow road roller appeared high in the sky. Sakuya stood casually on the front as it fell onto Bayonetta's bleeding and broken form. The heavy machine tore through the floor, forming a small crater and sending cracks snaking out from the impact site. With her victory assured, Sakuya leaned back and let out an eerie cry.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYY-"

The shriek was interrupted by fist impacting Sakuya's face, sending her falling backwards off the vehicle. Bayonetta towered over her, covered in blood and dirt.

The maid looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I-impossible..."

"You really think you're the only one with time powers?"

Sakuya gritted her teeth. "I'll kill you!" She leapt up and thrust a knife at Bayonetta, but the witch backflipped off the steamroller. Time slowed down again, and the road roller was flung into the air by a giant fist. The maid was thrown too, but landed on her feet, crouching low and using one hand to balance as she slid backwards.

"Luna Dial!" Sakuya shouted, pulling out her pocket watch and freezing time. The road roller was stopped in mid-air, however, her opponent was unaffected.

"My Witch Time ability allows me to slow down time to avoid attacks. It also seems to be able to cancel out the effects of your time stop." Bayonetta explained.

"Hmph... If our mastery of time is equal, then this battle will be decided by our fighting skills, servant Caster!" Sakuya lunged forward, holding two knives in reverse grip.

Bayonetta whirled and extended her leg, creating a giant replica that kicked Sakuya, sending her flying backwards.

"BIAH MICALP!"

An iron maiden appeared behind Assassin, she smashed straight into it. The wicked spikes were the last thing she saw as the door slammed shut.

Bayonetta giggled and took out a green lollipop. Her injuries faded away as she ran her tongue seductively over the candy.

"That's a pretty neat trick. But you have to admit mine was far more impressive." Sakuya said as she came out from behind a pillar. A flock of doves took flight dramatically as she sauntered past them.

Bayonetta's mouth opened with shock, the lollipop almost falling out. "How did you...?"

"Call it magic, although really it's just a simple trick. You are powerful, Bayonetta, and fighting you when you've just healed yourself is suicidal."

"Really now, Sakuya? I thought you'd have a few more tricks up your sleeve."

The maid smirked. "I do, but it's too early to be playing those cards now. Should we meet again, I will be sure to kill you." Sakuya vanished into thin air.

Bayonetta held the lollipop between two fingers and sighed. "That was refreshing. I better go find Shinji, no doubt that other servant messed him up pretty good."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Some guys like Captain Falcon have a signature move that involves punching. Shinji, on the other hand, has a move that involves being punched by a badass.

Rin seems to be a bit too much of a Distressed Damsel in this chapter. It was mostly for a reference to UBW, she will be back to her normal badassery shortly.

I'm going to start working on a novel so updates for this may or may not change. But I intend to see this fanfic through to completion, hopefully by the end of the year.**  
**


	10. One of a Kind : This is a Drill

**One of a Kind / **This is a Drill

The school looked like it had been used for a war. The windows were broken, the classrooms were completely trashed, the unconscious students were strewn all over the place. There was a crater on the pavement in front of the school from where the fake Link's bomb had detonated.

The shattered double doors at the entrance swung open. Rin and Ragna walked out. The girl wore her school uniform - long black skirt, white dress shirt and brown vest. Servant Saber wore his signature red jacket with two "tails", a black shirt and black hakama pants.

"Ragna... I... Thanks for saving me back there." She said, still walking without looking at him.

"Any time, I am your partner in this after all." Ragna replied, his tone and actions equally casual.

"It was just... helpful, that is all. I could've figured out a way to escape on my own, but your assistance sped up the process."

"It was mostly out of convenience - I was just nearby and I really enjoy punching jerks."

"Well if either of us gets such a chance again, it's tactically sound to take it. But I really don't mind either way." Rin blushed, her gratitude was actually far from insignificant, but she hid it as much as she could. "Anyway, Shinji should be regrouping in his mansion right now. Do you think you can take Caster in one-on-one combat?"

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem. We denied her the energy from the students, so she'll be low on mana. I am worried about fighting her on her own turf though, any idea what Caster-class servants can do?"

"Anything a magus can, maybe more. If she's had time to prepare then she may have traps or lesser summoned creatures. But the most dangerous form of magecraft is the Reality Marble - a bounded field that manifests the user's mental world into our reality."

"Sounds pretty dangerous, do you know anything about countering it?"

"It's extremely rare, so the Association hasn't been able to study it in detail. It should be limited to a specific effect though, so if you can survive the first attack you'll know what it is."

"Tch. I won't let Caster live long enough to even use it. Besides, it's unlikely that she even has enough mana at this point to bring it out."

"True. If all else fails, just keep her distracted long enough for me to kill Shinji. That should definitely stop her."

The master and servant walked away from the school in the direction of the Matou mansion.

* * *

The ornate door burst open as Rin charged into the foyer. The Matou mansion had a darker feel than hers, even during the daytime the curtains were closed, leaving only dim artificial light. It was ornately furnished, but everything was far older and styled in a gothic fashion as opposed to the Tohsaka family's preference for clean lines and more varied tones.

But the magus didn't notice the interior decorating as she rushed through the house. Any entry into a Caster's domain would instantly be noticed, so her assault was based entirely on speed and efficiency. She sprinted down the hallway to the living room, already her magic circuits were gathering mana to attack.

As she kicked open the double doors of the living room she saw Shinji Matou, along with his adoptive sister Sakura. They had similar eye and hair colors, although Sakura's was a lighter purple while Shinji's was a darker blue-indigo. But Rin knew for a fact that they had no blood relation.

She didn't so much as blink when she noticed the knife held at the girl's throat.

"Don't move! Do as I say and-AAAAAHH!" Shinji screamed out as a perfectly aimed Gandr shot hit his hand. The knife fell from his grip, but it never hit the floor. In a flash Rin had closed the distance to him and snatched it out of the air, at the same time sending the surprised boy tumbling backwards with a punch to the face. He landed on the couch, staining it red with the blood from his broken nose.

Sakura ran to the other side of the room the moment she realized that she was free and watched as Rin collided with Shinji, overturning the couch.

The magus stood up over him, her hand extended and ready to fire a kill shot. Shinji had no way of fighting back, in their collision Rin had lodged the knife in his gut, the pain made it almost impossible to move. Despite his serious disadvantage, he sneered slightly as he looked at his superior opponent.

"MICMA!"

Without warning, a whip wrapped around Rin's leg. She fired several wild Gandr shots as she was yanked hard, leaving scorch marks on the walls and floor near Shinji.

"As much as I'd like to see my master dead, I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Bayonetta taunted as she dragged Rin towards her. A wooden pony covered in menacing spikes materialized behind the witch. "You've been a very naughty girl, and I'll have to punish you."

Rin winced as she was pulled closer. "Nghh... You think all masters are as helpless as that coward Shinji?"

"Try your little shooting magic on me. I assure you, mine is far greater."

The girl snickered, buying time to prepare her ace in the hole. "You think those shots are anywhere near my true power?"

A flash of red streaked towards Bayonetta, the witch shielded herself instantly. The flame jewel impacted the shield and detonated, setting the entire room on fire and destroying the witch's torture device, along with the rest of the furniture in the room.

The shield wasn't fully effective, some of the fire penetrated it, singeing her hair slightly and sending her into a coughing fit from the smoke. While the servant was distracted, Rin got up and put some distance between them.

A wave of darkness suppressed the flames completely.

"Well if it isn't the witch with a capital B." Ragna remarked as he strode in casually.

"Ragna! Where were you earlier? Caster was trying to do some weird S&M thing on me!" Rin scolded.

The Grim Reaper gave the two women a cavalier smirk. "Sorry, I wanted to see if you ladies could sort things out by yourselves. Too bad you're both bossy types."

Shinji emerged from behind the capsized couch. "Bayonetta! I command you to keep them away from me!" He yelled as he staggered out of the room.

Caster reacted instantly and opened fire with her handguns. The red master and servant ducked into the nearest doorway as she peppered the room with magic bullets.

"Rin! I'll use my barrier to block her shots, then you advance and take her out!" Ragna barked.

"I guess it's our only option!" Rin shouted back.

Ragna rounded the corner and projected his barrier, but no bullets impacted it...

"Pillow Talk!"

The glowing green blade clashed against Ragna's shield. Scrapping his former plan, he pushed forward, sending himself and Bayonetta crashing through the already partially broken window.

The witch focused all her strength on repulsing him. More mana poured into her energy blade, the barrier began to weaken.

The weapon's mana content was double its normal capacity. The conceptual structure holding it together faltered, causing a destructive phenomenon known as a Broken Phantasm.

As the green explosion was about to overwhelm his defenses, The Grim Reaper did an overload of his own...

"Barrier Burst!"

Ragna detonated his barrier, sending a blue-green shockwave to counteract the destructive energy of the supercharged Phantasm.

"Mmm. Looks like we blew at the same time." Bayonetta said, panting heavily.

Ragna ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his clothes. "I guess most guys can't even hope to last this long against you."

"But the real question is can you go again right now?" Bayonetta giggled and adjusted her glasses.

Ragna summoned his sword - the Blood Scythe, and held it horizontal at eye level.

"You'll have to catch me first though. I was ordered to keep you away, so that's what I'll do." Bayonetta winked and leapt into the air.

The two servants bounded over the rooftops of the residential district, moving towards the coastline.

* * *

Rin rushed through the house again, flinging open every door, checking every hiding place.

"Sakura! Sakura!" She called repeatedly, but the purple-haired girl was nowhere to be found.

She descended into the basement. It had been refurbished by Bayonetta after the death of Zouken. The crypts were gone, the dank stone replaced by a luxurious purple decor. Arcane symbols were drawn all over the floor, and one of the corners was filled by a canopy bed.

The torture chamber of the Matou had been turned into something resembling a room from a pricey love hotel. This was the witch's territory - a place that represented her personality.

"Hmph. Looks like Shinji's servant is just as perverted as him. This Bayonetta woman is like one of those fanservice characters from an anime." Rin commented. She finished looking around the room and took the stairs back up two at a time.

Sakura ran down the street, she simply wanted to get away from it all. Away from Shinji, away from the Grail War, away from the pain. The girl stumbled and fell, letting out a yelp as she hurt herself. A pair of black dress shoes filled her vision.

"So, you're the heir of Matou. The ultimate piece of Zouken's grand plan. But with his death, you have been left incomplete." A voice came from above her. She looked up to see a man wearing a long dark coat, with something gold hanging around his neck. His face was concealed in shadow, but she could see the sadistic glint in his eyes.

Tears streamed from her eyes. "W-what are you talking about?" She asked fearfully.

"Without the influence of the Matou power, you can no longer achieve your full potential, you are nothing more than another monster for me to kill." The man replied.

He materialized a longsword and brought it down, impaling the girl on it. She didn't have the strength to scream, so she just whimpered as the searing pain shot into her back.

"I stabbed you so that you would suffer for a while, think about whatever you like during this time." The man coldly explained, then he stepped over Sakura's dying form and walked away.

* * *

The full moon illuminated the field, the water below the cliff edge was calm. The red and purple streaks sped towards the edge, repeatedly colliding and exchanging blows.

Bayonetta jumped off first, with Ragna pursuing. The two servants fell straight down, quickly approaching the sea.

The Grim Reaper came down on her, driving his Blood Scythe against her other blade - Shuraba. She was in the inferior position, but there was still one trick up her sleeve...

"Give it up, once we hit the bottom I'll crush you!" Ragna said.

"Don't be so sure, I still have my Reality Marble." Bayonetta replied.

Ragna's eyes widened. "What? You have the energy to bring it out?"

Bayonetta cackled "Of course, now behold the Clock Tower!"

Suddenly, gravity seemed to reverse. Ragna fell upwards onto a giant clock face. The witch landed elegantly on the other end of it.

Ragna stood up and took in his surroundings. He was standing on the detached top part of a clock tower. It was plummeting next to the cliff, but never seemed to get closer to the water. It was almost as if the rock face had been extended to a height of several kilometers. A vast sea loomed below, with the lights of cities visible in the distance.

"This is my ultimate power. A display of absolute control over time and space." Caster explained.

Ragna was almost overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and awesomeness of the created world. "I-impossible... How did you do this?"

Bayonetta adjusted her glasses and explained. "This is my Reality Marble, the world within the Bounded Field is subject to the rules I impose on it. Specifically, I have created an enormous space and time-dilated it to allow the clock tower to fall down the cliff for an almost infinite duration."

The red servant contemplated his situation and smirked. "Tch. So you've trapped me in here, too bad it'll all dissipate after you die."

Bayonetta charged at Ragna, swinging her sword in a wide arc. He slipped past it, scraping his blade against hers and launching a kick to her midsection. The witch avoided his boot, flipping over him and twisting around while thrusting her weapon.

Ragna maintained his forward momentum, barely avoiding her attack. He spun around just in time to see the tip of her blade coming straight at him. He swept upwards with his sword, deflecting the thrust and leaving Bayonetta open.

The red servant went on the offensive, uppercutting Bayonetta with his right hand, the impact launched her into the air and he followed, jumping above her and slashing downwards.

The black-clad woman fell on the clock face in a heap, blood splattered on the stone. Ragna touched down nonchalantly in behind her.

"Despite your mastery of this world, your fighting skills aren't getting much better." He commented.

The witch looked up at him, blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. "Ngh... I haven't... even begun... to use my powers!" She stood up achingly, then straightened up, flipped her hair and made a seductive "Come here" gesture.

"Inferno Divider!"

Servant Saber slashed upwards. Caster responded with a back handspring, cleanly dodging the attack. Time seemed to slow down. Ragna had left himself exposed and Bayonetta would punish him greatly. Some of her clothing melted away while a giant fist made of darkness materialized and collided with Ragna, flinging him towards the other end of the clock face. He slid to a stop almost at the edge of the stone.

Ragna jumped to his feet, but the witch was already face-to-face with him.

"PIR ZIXLAY"

Bayonetta grabbed the swordsman by the shoulders faster than he could react and shoved him into a guillotine. The device was locked and the blade began to fall...

Clang!

"W-what?" Bayonetta stared, her eyes wide with disbelief. "It... ex-"

A blind kick from Ragna threw her backwards. The guillotine had been stopped by the Blood Scythe's blade, the extended mode had allowed it to easily reach the guillotine and catch the falling blade. The Grim Reaper grabbed the wooden frame and activated a powerful Ars that demolished the device.

Ragna dusted himself off and assumed a casual stance. "What's the matter? Is that it?"

The black servant just charged at him, launching another dark fist. The red servant nonchalantly slid to the side to dodge it, but was crushed by a giant dark high-heel shoe. His body hurt all over, the pain made it almost impossible to move.

"That was only the beginning... of your death! AVAVAGO!"

All of Bayonetta's clothing dissolved into masses of flowing hair. A hellish portal opened, allowing a giant black and purple dragon to emerge. Its roar sounded like Armageddon itself, its dark flesh looked like it was made from its summoner's hair. Ragna could do nothing as the void-like maw closed around him. The creature had swallowed him in one exaggerated gulp.

Bayonetta began to laugh. Her opponent had been defeated. She stood victorious and naked, her chest rising and falling with each chuckle in a way that was utterly mesmerizing.

"C..n.g. .rs!"

Servant Caster tilted her head. "What was that noise? Gomorrah?"

The dragon twitched slightly. Suddenly, Ragna burst out of its side.

The monster's remains dissolved into dark energy that flowed into Ragna, healing his wounds. "All this hair is really dangerous. Now I'm not much of a barber, but I do know a thing or two about scissors." . He looked the witch up and down with an impressed smile. "Tch. Those clothes suited you, but I gotta say; you look a lot better without them."

For the first time in an age, Bayonetta blushed slightly. "Well then, lets do this here and now."

She materialized a single Scarborough Fair pistol and opened fire. Ragna effortlessly deflected the shots with his blade as he dashed towards her. It was almost as if she was making this too easy.

He reached her and spin-kicked the gun out of her hand. She didn't resist as he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off her feet. He held the tip of the Blood Scythe in front of her nose. He was almost overwhelmed by her beauty, but he had to break a part of it to give her the freedom she so desired. He began to lower the point of his sword.

"This'll sting."

"Oh, that's fine. Goodbye, Ragna the Bloodedge."

The weapon extended, impaling her just under the left breast. For a second, Ragna could've sworn he saw her giving him a sad, but hopeful smile. Bayonetta began to dissolve into violet butterflies. He looked into her eyes for the last time through those glasses - the only thing she was still wearing. As she disappeared they fell to the floor, the lenses shattering. The glass shards streaked onto the clock face like tiny meteors, glowing purple as they burned up and vanished.

The projected world evaporated around Ragna. Finding himself still plummeting next to the cliff, the servant wedged his sword into it to slow himself down, stopping just short of the water.

* * *

Shinji limped down the empty street, cursing everyone he could think of. He didn't care about anything except for escaping with his life, and that seemed rather difficult considering his injured state.

A red cloth came out of nowhere and entangled him, the boy tried to struggle, but the clearly supernatural fabric had trapped him completely.

"So, this is one of the fabled masters of the Grail War. Rather useless without your servant, aren't you?" the mysterious woman said as she approached the helpless boy.

Even in his current state, Shinji took in a good view of her - she was dressed in a skimpy version of a church outfit, her wavy snow-white hair fell to her lower back, her eyes were the color of honey. To say that the church outfit covered most of her skin would be a technical truth - her dress was short to the point that it could be considered a long shirt, and split down the front to expose her black pantyhose and the visible white panties she wore under it. Her legs were further accentuated by thigh-length boots. Finally, she wore a beret, black like the rest of her ensemble.

"Aaah! What have you done to me?" Shinji shouted, clearly even more afraid of the unknown woman than he was of his other enemies.

"You will help me summon the Holy Grail, I promise that I'll make it worth your while." She said seductively. A servant walked up behind her, one that Shinji instantly recognized.

"Link? What the hell?"

The True Link didn't make any sort of movements to acknowledge the boy.

The woman smiled, she looked serene, to the point of being unsettling. "So you know him. You must have been the one who summoned the fake servant in his place. Thank you for providing a vessel for mine, I didn't have the ability to perform a complete summoning, but since the connection was already made I simply had to pull the correct servant through it."

A young girl's voice interrupted her. "You have some nerve, churchwoman! Joining a war meant for magi." It was Illyasviel von Einzbern, the girl was almost an opposite of the woman. Her hair was straight and flowing, with more of a silver shine, her eyes were bright red. She was dressed in modest winter clothing, favoring a purple and white color scheme.

Behind the little girl stood a giant humanoid in an old-fashioned diving suit. Its helmet was covered in glowing yellow lights. The right hand of the armor was replaced by a large drill.

"Please, call me Caren." the woman replied, if she had been offended by the girl's words, her face didn't show it. "I came only for the weak master, he is of no threat to you."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to have him, churchwoman. Berserker!"

The hulking servant lumbered over to the bound Shinji and started up its massive drill. The boy screamed and tried his best to get away. Ironically, the bonds dissolved the second the drill penetrated his chest, shredding the flesh as soon as it made contact. Bones could be heard crunching as the drill went all the way through Shinji's body and started going into the pavement below. Blood sprayed onto the armored servant, but it couldn't care less. Finally, it extracted the gore-covered drill and gave it a spin to throw off the chunks of flesh stuck on it.

For the first time, Caren's composure had been broken. Her eyes were wide open, but her pupils had contracted to pinpoints. "H-how could you do such a thing?"

"Berserker has a truly powerful weapon, it could even pierce your precious heavens, churchwoman." Ilya explained.

While the Big Daddy didn't believe in himself, he did believe in her who believed in him. He continued to advance towards the church master and her servant.

"Link! I command you to block his next attack and escape!" Caren ordered, her command seals lighting up.

The green servant readied his shield as Berserker charged straight at him. The drill impacted the shield and Link stood his ground. For a moment it appeared that the defense was successful...

"Berserker, I command you to destroy them!" Glowing red patterns appeared all over Ilya's body as she used her own absolute command. In response her servant's "eyes" changed to red and it let out a whale-like groan as it pushed harder with its drill.

Link did the only thing he could - he overcharged the shield with mana, creating a Broken Phantasm. The detonation was actually enough to push back the Big Daddy slightly and buy him enough time to escape the behemoth. Caren had already fled and would undoubtedly regroup with her servant soon enough. The giant had no tracking powers, so it simply returned to its docile state.

* * *

Rin dashed through the streets, searching for Sakura. Her attention was drawn to a corpse in the distance. She approached for a closer view.

It was Shinji, he had a gaping hole in his chest that continued into the ground below him, his eyes were still wide open - probably from the excruciating pain he experienced in his last moments.

"Looks like Shinji finally got what's coming to him." Rin commented, then she suddenly had a realization and gasped "What if Sakura ran into the one that did this?"

She continued running, not at all worried about her own safety. She was the only one who knew why Sakura was important to her, she was the only one with this responsibility to help her.

She eventually found the purple-haired girl lying face down on a sidewalk. She saw the blood and scrambled over to her. Rin kneeled at her side and turned her over.

"Sakura! Please wake up!" She screamed. Tears began to fall onto the wounded girl.

The purple-haired girl looked up with half-open eyes. "Rin... It hurts..." She clutched the bloody area on her stomach.

"Stay still, I'll help you." Rin began to channel her mana, but then a look of dread came over her. "It... doesn't heal?"

"Rin... Nee-san... I'm scared..." Sakura said. She weakly tried to lift her arm to touch her sister.

Seeing the motion, Rin took the hand in hers, using the other to hold up Sakura. "I don't want you to die. I... I love you so much."

Rin saw the girl close her eyes and felt her go completely limp. She sobbed tenderly and hugged her sister, holding Sakura's head to her chest.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Was it an enemy? She couldn't care less right now...

The familiar voice of Ragna reassured her. "So, that's why you were so worried about her." He knelt down next to his master and looked into her tearful eyes.

Rin met his gaze, tears still flowing down her cheeks. "I was responsible for her. I was the only one who ever cared about her as a person. My family gave her to the Matou, and they only used her for their purposes, but I always tried to look out for her. Now I've lost her forever and it's all my fault!" She started weeping uncontrollably again.

Ragna reached out and touched her cheek, wiping away the tears with his gloved hand. "It'll be alright, just let it all out." He put his arms around her in a comforting hug.

The girl welcomed his embrace and buried her face in his shoulder. Ragna held her until she began to calm down.

"It may sound strange, but I know exactly what you're going through." He said.

"R-really?" Rin asked between sobs.

"I lost my little sister when I was young. It hurts a lot at first, but eventually you forgive yourself. Right now, it's ok to just cry." Ragna explained.

"But if it wasn't for my actions today, she wouldn't have been killed like this!" Rin wailed, almost losing control again.

Ragna grabbed her by the shoulders and looked intently into his master's eyes. "You can't blame yourself for this! I'm sure she doesn't. Out there is a bastard who we're gonna kill for this, I'm sure of it. Just stop thinking that it's your fault, or worrying that Sakura would hate you for this!" He shouted, summoning up his fierce determination, and hoping to snap Rin out of her self-hate.

The girl stared at him, slightly shocked by the sudden outburst, then she seemed to regain much of her normal composure. "I... Thanks, Ragna. Your sympathy really means a lot to me." She gave a slight, warm smile and kissed Ragna on the cheek before standing up.

* * *

They had to leave the body there, Rin regretted erasing all traces of her presence, but it was necessary to maintain the current cover story of serial murders or freak accidents.

That night, Ragna could hear Rin crying herself to sleep. It would be a long time before she fully recovered, but he knew that her strength was definitely enough to get through this.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry about the long delay, I have started work on my book ( -_- not as much progress as I'd like, but I'm getting there). Hopefully I'll eventually find a balance that will allow me to write both novel and fanfic at a decent rate.

This chapter has a lot of Mood Whiplash. I was considering splitting it up so that it wouldn't have funny mixed with sad this much, but I rather liked this order of scenes, and the chapter name was fitting for a variety of reasons. (The first part, that is. The second was just one of the many references in my works).

I realize that I did promise Rin-badassery in the last chapter, but the tragic part here was largely improvised because of a sudden idea I had. Besides, even badasses are allowed to cry when a close friend or sibling dies, especially if there is romantic comforting involved. ^_^


	11. Unexpected Inquisition

**Unexpected Inquisition **/ Unsettling Investigation

The rest of the week went by without incident. Fortunately after the incident with Shinji the school was closed down so Rin had time to rest at home. She barely did anything, usually just sitting in the study and reading over old books. She wasn't searching for anything in particular, but studying the texts occupied her mind and allowed her to lose herself for most of the day.

Ragna was becoming increasingly worried by his master's habits. He noticed that she ate less - a worrying sign considering her usually positive reception of his cooking. He tried making a variety of dishes, but none had any effect. She didn't even comment when he made ones she disliked. It was as if her sense of taste was dulled.

His other concern was that she didn't express any emotions while he was around. The girl hadn't cried in his presence since that night, but he could hear her sobs through the walls whenever she tried to sleep.

The servant spent most days bored out of his mind. On a few occasions he ventured out of the mansion, using a concealment Ars to mask his presence. He never strayed too far, but often checked a nearby multimedia store for news updates. Since Rin didn't have her own television, this was the only way Ragna could check on any potential leads for new enemies. He hoped that forcing Rin to get out of the house would be beneficial.

That Monday Ragna had finally found something interesting. He wasted no time getting back and entered the study without even knocking.

"Hey Ragna, what do you need?" Rin asked, completely deadpan. She wasn't even angered by the servant's rude interruption.

"There was a news report - big damage. I think two of the masters just had a major fight. Strange thing is, no bodies were found, not even bloodstains." Ragna explained.

Rin just stared, her expression barely changing. "That's not impossible. It could be someone merciful enough to kill the servant and let the master go, although I cannot imagine any of the masters I know doing that. Not even..." Rin's eyes went wide. "Luvia!"

She rushed to the phone and dialled the number of Luvia's hotel room. No answer. She turned back to her servant.

"Ragna, where exactly was this fight?"

"Uh... Our side of town, kinda close to the forest."

Rin paced around the room, obviously disturbed by this fact. "Damn it! Illyasviel!" She opened her jewel case and armed herself. "Come on, Ragna. We have to go now!"

The servant hesitantly followed her out of the room. "You think it's a good idea to go during the day?"

"Doesn't matter. Nobody around where we're going." Rin explained as she hurriedly walked out the front door.

* * *

The previous night...

"Lightning, are you sure it's in the temple?"

"One hundred percent." The pink-haired servant looked over to her master. "This is where the real Archer and the uninvited master are hiding."

"Is that so?" A voice said from behind the duo.

Luvia spun around in an instant and saturated the area where the voice came from with Gandr shots.

Caren Ortensia and Link stood behind a glowing golden Triforce that had shielded them from the barrage. With them was a bespectacled man who had a no-nonsense look about him.

"What do you think, Souichirou?" Caren asked.

"Masters can indeed be a threat, but your demonstration of the servant's superiority is very informative." The teacher replied.

Luvia covered her mouth as she snickered. "I'll demonstrate in a moment that my servant is the superior one! Lightning!"

The servant stepped forward, her weapon shifting into sword mode. Link maintained a neutral stance, his sword still sheathed. Lightning broke into a run, leaning forward as far as possible. Her arms trailed behind her body with her sword pointing backwards.

Link was certain of his victory, his enemy was completely on the offensive, but his plan would allow him to win with a single strike before she would be able to do anything.

What he didn't expect was for Lightning to flip into the air just before reaching him. She arced over her opponent with an elegance that made it look like she was accustomed to flying through the air while upside-down. Fortunately, the green servant reflexively drew and swung his sword, barely deflecting the blade that had been aimed at his face.

Lightning righted herself just before landing, her momentum causing her to skid backwards slightly.

Link spun around with his sword outstretched to keep Lightning back. The pink servant was well out of range during the swing but moved in as soon as the blade passed her.

Completely open, Link had no way of bringing his sword back in time to defend, so instead he dropped low and swept at Lightning's legs with his boot. The more agile servant flipped again, avoiding the sweep and sailing over her opponent.

Now Lightning was the one on the back foot, Link advanced with a wide swing, forcing her to continue moving away from him. Now at a decent distance, Lightning transformed her Gunblade into its gun form and fired wildly.

The Triforce shield appeared again, negating the barrage entirely. As it faded, Link swung his sword, sending a wave of energy at Lightning. She rolled to the side, avoiding the attack and firing, only to be thwarted again by the barrier that instantly came up every time Link was threatened by projectiles.

Link pressed the attack, firing Sword Beams at a faster rate. The pink-haired servant dodged them without too much difficulty - they were smaller than Sephiroth's blade waves, although the number of them that was launched consecutively was noticeably higher and they were somewhat faster.

More of the beams came straight at her. Lightning didn't even bother to move.

"Hmph, I'll show you a proper attack spell... Ruin!"

A blast of wispy grey energy streaked from her outstretched hand, colliding with the Sword Beams and detonating. Lightning continued to fire Ruin blasts, pelting Link's Triforce barrier.

"I've had enough of this! Ruinga!"

A much bigger version of the Ruin spell crashed into the shield and exploded, causing the three triangles to shatter into translucent golden shards before fading completely.

The sensory overload of having the barrier broken stunned Link, allowing Lightning to dash forward and land a hit on him. A diagonal gash of red formed on the green tunic as the blade sliced through it.

Lightning moved around Link, preparing to strike at his back. The injured servant raised his hand, and just as the blade came down it was stopped by a second sword that had formed in Link's hand. It looked identical to his Master Sword, except instead of violet the hilt was gold. He pushed back the gunblade with the new sword and attacked with both at the same time.

The onslaught of swings from the Master Sword and the Ultimate Sword was almost too much for Lightning to repel with a single weapon. She desperately needed to put some distance between herself and Link in order to bring out a Noble Phantasm that could counter both of his.

Link had just finished a swing from one sword, and began another to keep up the pressure. Seeing her opportunity, Lightning ducked under the sword and pressed her own blade against it, accelerating it into the other one and completely removing Link's ability to attack. The swordswoman then followed up with a kick to the wound she dealt earlier, sending the green servant flying backwards.

"Let's finish this, Odin!"

A glowing magic circle formed in front of Lightning, then a massive mechanical man materialized. He was clad in green, gold and white heavy armor with a horned helmet typical of Vikings. Immediately he transformed into a large horse, allowing Lightning to climb on. A pair of heavy blades appeared in Lightning's hands, each one as long as she was tall and curving back at a sharp angle at the ends.

Caren smirked. "So, this is the Noble Phantasm of a Rider-class? Show her your version, Link."

As ordered, Link summoned his own steed - his loyal horse Epona. The two servants were almost mirror images - each with a mount and wielding two weapons.

Luvia's eyes went wide. "H-he has a mount as well? What kind of Archer is this?"

The church agent laughed maniacally. "Link is the very definition of a hero, his abilities encompass every field. This is why you can never defeat him!"

"Jack of all trades huh? Then he's the master of none!" Luvia remarked.

The sound of hooves hitting the ground filled the air as the two servants charged at each other. Their weapons clashing as they passed.

The two mounted warriors circled each other, striking repeatedly but failing to land any good blows. Lightning broke off and galloped away. Link followed and swung at her as he caught up. The Zantetsuken blades easily deflected Link's much smaller swords.

Suddenly, the mechanical horse halted. Lightning held out one of her blades at chest height, causing Link to slam into it and fall off his mount.

Lightning leapt from her horse and somersaulted through the air. Her signature element crashed down around Link. Several bolts struck the green servant in the chest, creating painful burns around the already severe wound.

The combined pain of the impact and the shocks was almost too much for Link. He grunted as he tried to open his eyes.

The pink-haired servant was coming straight at him, blades ready to strike the finishing blow. He struggled to lift his arm, reaching up into the night sky.

"Link! I command you to defeat her with your ultimate attack!" Caren shouted, activating the second of her three command seals.

The servant reacted instantly - his arm extended fully upwards, as if he was a puppet on a string. A bow made of solid light formed in it, his other hand drew back the string and a Light Arrow was created.

As Lightning was about to land the finishing blow, the arrow pierced her chest like a laser beam. Her momentum was cancelled completely and she was thrown upwards.

The defeated servant landed in a heap near her master. Luvia ran over to her and cradled the mortally wounded woman in her arms.

"Luvia... I'm sorry I... didn't win." Lightning murmured.

Luvia forced herself to smile, tears flowing down her cheeks. "There's... nothing to apologize for. You were a good servant, Lightning. It was a pleasure to be with you even for this short time." She took the servant's hand and brought it to her lips, gently kissing the palm.

Lightning used the last of her strength to caress Luvia's cheek. Then she dissolved into feathers. Similar to the ones that appeared during Sephiroth's death, but pure white instead of black. Luvia sobbed, hugging her own arms as if the servant was still there.

"How touching." Kuzuki said in a monotone.

Sorrow turned to anger. The magus looked up at the teacher with pure rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed as she charged at the man.

Luvia didn't even get to throw a punch. A sudden impact knocked her out just as she got within range. The odd angle meant that she never saw Kuzuki's attack.

"Carry her back to the temple, Souichirou." Caren said offhandedly as she went to help her servant.

* * *

The sun was setting as the duo arrived at Einzbern castle. Even though they walked through the forest during the daytime, it was still quite a frightening journey. Now the long shadow of the castle loomed over the master and servant as they approached the front door.

Rin tested the door - it was unlocked. She opened it just enough for Ragna to slip through and followed him inside. The door creaked shut as they entered the spacious foyer. At the far side there was a staircase, at the top of it stood a purple-clad girl and a hulking monstrosity in a diving suit.

"Good evening, Rin. I've been expecting you. Servant Saber is also welcome." The young girl said.

"Illyasviel!" Rin shouted, staring down the artificial magus with furious eyes. "I know you had something to do with Luvia's disappearance!"

"You are mistaken. Luviagelita may have been a rival in the Grail War like you and the others, but I was not the one to kill her servant and kidnap her."

Rin's eyes showed a hint of sorrow from learning of Lighting's death. "So her servant is dead, but who was the master that did this?"

"It was an agent of the Holy Church - a woman named Caren." Ilya explained in a disgusted tone.

"The Church? But Kotomine is the only member who is supposed to be here! Why would they send others?"

"It's possible that this is a rogue agent. She has summoned her own servant - an Archer with a variety of powers."

"W-what? How is that possible?"

"I can't fully explain it. I believe that she has been enticed by the power of the Holy Grail and is seeking a way to obtain it. When I last met her, she was attempting to capture one of the weaker masters."

"Shinji... So your servant was the one who killed him."

"Be careful, Rin. She doesn't know of the darkness hidden within the Grail. If she uses it there will be suffering. If anyone successfully uses it there will be suffering."

Rin's eyes widened. "The Holy Grail is... evil?"

Ilya walked down the stairs and over to Rin. Ragna went to stop the small girl but his master gestured for him to let her pass.

"In the third Grail War an anomalous servant was summoned - an angelic being known as Tabuu. He was not from any known legend or historic battle and he possessed an extreme hatred for all life. When he was defeated, his remains were absorbed into the Grail causing it to be tainted by his power and evil. Ever since then all the servants were summoned from unknown sources, with the most likely guess being alternate universes."

"Hmm... That explains just about everything, but why would this Caren woman want to capture a magus?"

"She needs someone with magic circuits to use as a vessel to force-summon the Holy Grail." Ilya looked up with big, imploring eyes. "Please, Rin. You have to rescue Luvia."

"Tch. All bets are off now that we know this. We'll have to save Luvia, then work with you and her to stop the remaining masters from getting the Grail. It's not about rivalries between families any more, this is about making sure that some psycho magus doesn't get their hands on an evil superweapon." Ragna explained with an unexpected level of persuasiveness.

Ilya looked over to the servant, giving him a bright smile. "I'd gladly help you fight the churchwoman, but Berserker won't be very good in her hiding place. You'd be a lot better at fighting in that temple."

"Temple? The Ryuudou Temple?" Rin asked.

"The architecture makes it less than ideal for Berserker. The bounded field means that we will have to go in through the front gate, and the approach will be spotted much earlier due to his lack of subtlety."

Ragna grinned. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Thank you, Ilya." Rin said as she turned around and went to leave.

* * *

At midnight, the red master and servant began their attack. They met no resistance as they charged up the steps leading to the temple. Before them was a gateway that led to the courtyard. Rin guessed that Luvia was being kept somewhere inside the large Japanese-style building in the middle.

"You know what to do, Ragna. Just engage the servant and keep him busy until I free Luvia."

"Got it, just watch out for that master."

Ragna went through the gate first and saw a flash of steel flying straight at him. He reflexively brought up his sword and deflected it. Suddenly, the projectile exploded into several sheets of paper.

"Impressive, servant Saber. Moving a blade of that size fast enough to parry my Black Keys." Caren taunted. She advanced slowly, more of the rapier-like swords materializing in her hands.

The Grim Reaper looked her up and down. "That nun outfit looks like it came from a costume shop."

The distraction was working, while Caren was focused on Ragna, Rin had managed to sneak most of the way to the temple.

Caren threw a Black Key with each hand, Ragna rolled to the side to avoid them. The churchwoman created more, this time one in gap between each finger.

Again Ragna dodged effortlessly. "Too easy!"

"Really, my dear?" Caren giggled. "You cannot escape me now."

The servant tried to move, but he was stuck in place. "What the hell is this?"

"If your shadow is hit by one of the Black Keys, it will hold you in place. After all, you cannot detach from your shadow." Caren explained, then she turned around and started to walk back to the Temple. "Souichirou, finish him."

The bespectacled teacher emerged from the shadows. Ragna struggled against the enchantment as the man drew closer. Once his opponent was in range, Ragna swung his blade.

Kuzuki blocked the sword arm, causing Ragna to drop his weapon. Saber's eyes widened as he realized that he was completely helpless now.

Punch. The first blow knocked the wind out of him.

Punch. Punch. Two more numbed his arms.

Punch. His head went spinning.

Punch. Another body blow fractured his ribs with a sickening crunch.

Rin was almost at the door when she noticed that her servant was in a dire situation. She managed to avoid calling out in worry, but she did pause for a moment before entering. This hesitation caused her to be spotted by Caren.

"Link, take out the master."

The green servant broke through one of the thin walls and swung at Rin. The girl jumped back just in time to avoid being cut by his Master Sword. She dived past him and into the next room. The wall behind her exploded as Link attacked again. Rin kept running through the rooms and into a darkened hallway, but it was clear that she didn't have enough speed to escape the servant.

As Link pursued her down the hallway, a blue-hilted knife shot out from the darkness. Archer barely deflected it with his sword and responded by swinging randomly at the darkness, but only managed to demolish another wall.

"Looking for me?" A voice came from behind him, followed by a kick that sent him crashing through several walls.

Link landed in the courtyard. Sakuya appeared nearby, her braids and maid dress fluttering in the wind as she posed with several knives held in one hand.

"You're a quiet one, not even an 'Oh yeah!' as you break through all those walls."

The silent servant looked up at her, then flew upwards with a spin of his blade. He continued his rotation as he moved towards her. The sword struck the maid, but something mysterious happened - _it did no damage_.

Link continued his spin with the same results each time. His sword harmlessly passed through her.

Suddenly, Sakuya appeared inside his sword range, nonchalantly grabbing his arm.

Assassin gave Archer an impassive glance. "Dodging your spin attack is really quite easy. Once I figured out the frequency of your rotations I could just move away for the split second when your sword would touch me then move back."

Sakuya shifted her weight backwards while still holding the arm, pulling him off balance. As he stumbled forward she struck his forehead with the heel of her palm, sending him flipping over backwards.

"Hmph. Not even worth my time." She commented and looked over to where Kuzuki was mercilessly pummeling Ragna.

Souichirou Kuzuki rained punches on the helpless servant. His holy reinforced fists were so hard that Ragna even had multiple cuts from the impacts.

Sakuya teleported behind the teacher and whispered in his ear. "That's cheap, you should try fighting him when he's unrestrained."

Kuzuki turned around and punched air. The maid reappeared less than an inch from his outstretched fist.

"Too slow."

He launched a barrage of attacks, each one missing by mere centimeters. It may as well have been a mile though - Sakuya was precisely dodging each punch on purpose.

Without warning, Kuzuki's legs were swept out from under him. He lay on the ground, knowing that it was impossible to get up before Assassin finished him.

"That's an interesting technique you use. Most people would get confused by the strikes coming from odd angles, but I have all the time in the world to figure out how to dodge them." She stomped on his arm, a moment later Kuzuki felt a burning pain in the palm of his hand - one of Sakuya's knives had pinned it to the ground. She then continued her monologue. "Usually I'd just murder you right here and now, but as a fellow attack dog of the so-called Holy Church I feel some measure of sympathy. Besides, someone may want payback, who am I to deny them?"

She walked over to the bloody but still standing Ragna and pulled out the Black Key that had him pinned. The blade exploded into more holy text. The injured servant was finally free and promptly fell forward. Sakuya appeared in front of him and caught him. After lowering Ragna to the ground she vanished.

* * *

Caren marched through the hallways, searching for Rin. For the first time, the holy woman was genuinely frustrated. Both her servant and her newly recruited help were utterly defeated, and now her best chance of getting the Grail was about to escape from her clutches.

Two sets of footsteps echoed nearby. She materialized her Black Keys and rounded the corner, launching a spread of them.

The blades were destroyed almost as soon as they were thrown, scattering pages throughout the hallway. The barrage of Gandr shots tore through the cloud of paper and sent Caren flying backwards through an already partially destroyed wall.

The two magi emerged from one of the gaping holes in the temple and ran over to Ragna. Luvia took one arm while Rin took the other, allowing them to carry the heavily injured servant back to the Tohsaka mansion.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sakuya for God Tier! Seriously, if I could choose to have any power, control over time and space would be near the top of the list, if not the top.

Sorry again about the long delays. I already have the next few chapters planned out quite well so they should come out quicker.

And yes, there will be more sads. More of them! XD


	12. Sweet Tears : Frozen Blood

**Sweet**** Tears** / Frozen Blood

Rin threw open the door to her mansion, allowing Luvia and Ragna to get inside. Even standing for a moment was too much for the servant and he collapsed as soon as he passed through the doorway. Both girls caught him and Rin kicked the door closed as she and Luvia began to carry him to the guest bedroom.

"Put him down here, like this." Rin said as she and Luvia gently lowered Ragna onto the bed. "Thank you, Luvia. If you want to stay here tonight you can use my bedroom."

"Are you sure you won't need any help with him?" Luvia asked.

"Don't worry, I know what to do." Rin replied.

Luvia turned to leave the room, then looked back. "Thanks again... for rescuing me." Then she walked out and headed to the other bedroom.

Rin got to work on her servant, stripping off his jacket and shirt to expose his toned but bruised body. She noticed that his right arm was some sort of prosthetic - likely a mix of cybernetics and the magecraft of his world.

Ragna looked up with half-closed eyes. "Ngh... Rin, my regen isn't... ahh... working."

"Traces of the holy reinforcement magecraft in your body are interfering with it. I should be able to purge it." Rin explained. She placed her hand against his chest and closed her eyes. The Thaumaturgical Crest on her forearm lit up.

The sensation was strange, but not entirely uncomfortable. Ragna felt electric shivers through his entire body, it was like anticipating the touch of a lover, but never quite getting it. Finally, a wave of numbness washed over him and the servant felt normal sensation return, along with the pain.

Rin opened her eyes and looked him over. "That should do it."

The girl left for a moment, returning with a damp cloth that she used to clean up the remaining blood. Ragna groaned as her touch moved over sore spots.

"Oh my..." She said. "I better check your injuries to make sure."

She felt several places on his stomach and chest. The bruises were already beginning to fade. Ragna winced and tried to pull back when she touched the damaged ribs. Rin noticed his reaction, but neither of them said anything.

"Looks like you still have a few aches, but with your regeneration it should be better by morning." Rin's fingers traced his arm, finding the connection between flesh and machine. "Ragna, how did you get this?"

The servant looked even more sorrowful now. "It... it was back when I was young. I lived in a church with my brother and sister. One day I had gone out to get water, and when I came back the church was on fire. Some bastard from the Librarium was there. He killed the old woman that looked after us, cut off my arm and then... then he took Jin and Saya. I started to hate the world after that day, but I hated myself even more for being so helpless." Tears started flowing down Ragna's cheeks. He held back a sob. "I couldn't do anything to help them, and today I was reminded of what that feels like. Rin, I'm sorry for being so useless in this battle."

Rin looked away, needing a moment to process what she'd just been told. Then she looked back, staring into his red and green eyes. "You're not useless, Ragna. I trust you with my life and what happened today was not your fault. I still... care about you." She leaned over him, her face only a few centimeters away from his. "The world can be a cruel place, but never forget that it can also be wonderful, amazing, beautiful..."

Ragna felt her lips brush tenderly against his. Rin hesitated for a moment, but then Ragna caressed her cheek with his artificial fingers. Encouraged by the sensation, Rin leaned down further, deepening the kiss.

When they finally parted, Ragna gazed warmly into her aqua eyes. "Thank you, Rin."

She lay down on the bed next to Ragna and cuddled him so that his head was against her chest. "Goodnight, Ragna." She whispered.

The sound of Rin's heartbeat was calming, allowing Ragna to easily fall asleep.

They both had sweet dreams that night.

* * *

Morning light filtered through the curtains as Rin woke up. Ragna was still soundly asleep. She stroked his face, giving a kind smile. Then she got up and went to make tea.

She found Luvia sitting in the living room with a pot already made. She poured herself a cup and sat down next to the blonde girl.

"How are you feeling, Luvia?"

Luvia sniffed, holding back a tear. "I-I feel so... empty. Lightning was more than just a servant. She wasn't just a friend either. She was someone I felt really close to. I never really opened up to anyone before, but it felt so natural to be around her."

"What... what exactly do you mean?" Rin asked, feeling slightly confused and more than a bit flustered.

Luvia blushed and averted her gaze. "It's hard to describe. But I know that it was more than just the contract. I felt a real connection to her - to the person she really was."

Rin faced Luvia, but the blonde girl didn't look back. "I know how it feels to lose a loved one. You blame yourself for things that aren't your fault. You wish with all your heart for that person to come back. It hurts so much and all you want to do is cry."

Luvia's eyes met Rin's. "I... want to. But..."

"It's okay, Luvia. Just cry as much as you want." Rin said, putting her arm around Luvia.

The blue-clad girl burst into tears, hugging the red one tightly as she wept.

"I can still feel her last touch, just before she died, she touched my cheek one last time. These memories are all I have left of her." Luvia said between sobs.

Rin gave a reassuring smile. "Then cherish them. Lightning will live on in your memories. Just make sure to focus on the happy ones."

"That's a nice way of thinking about it. Thank you, Rin." Luvia's face brightened, her spiralling emotions calmed at last.

The trio of Rin, Ragna and Luvia made preparations throughout the day. With everyone recovered, they wanted to strike while their enemies were still regrouping. They headed out much later - the energies of both magi peaked after midnight, so that was the best time to strike.

* * *

Fuyuki Central Park was a bleak place to be during the day, but there was an added feeling of dread at night. The dead trees cast menacing shadows that slipped over visitors like fingers of darkness. Normally, blowing wind would add to that effect, but here the stillness made it even more intense - it was as if the air itself was dead. Sound seemed to be dampened, to the point where a human visitor wouldn't be able to hear something coming towards him unless it was sprinting.

But the man in red was hardly human. He looked at the destruction he had wrought ten years ago. Revelling in the memory.

He felt the residual mana in the area, as well as a new presence that was right behind him, and moving.

"I know you're there, vampire." He said without turning to the presence.

A pair of blood-red eyes opened in the darkness. "Hmm. It seems that the ability to sense mana invalidates a lot of the common horror clichés."

"Whatever, I prefer music to movies."

The eyes seemed to narrow with disapproval. "Am I right to assume that your preferences don't match my... refined tastes?"

"Say what you want, it's still damn good."

Wallachia emerged from the darkness, walking around to the man's front. "So then, I finally meet the Chandler's gunman of this story."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's a literary convention - when the plot is grinding to a standstill, a new threat is introduced."

"This isn't a book! People have free will. I fight for my own reasons, not because my master tells me to!"

Wallachia laughed. "So you say. But in the end, everything follows a certain path - a path that can be analyzed and predicted."

"You can't analyze my actions. Not even my master has full control of me, let alone a stupid thing such as fate!"

"But there must be method to your madness. A goal, yes? Burning all oppression from the world sounds most interesting."

"Heh. Something like that. But you won't see any of it coming with your calculations, vampire." The main in red said as he ran off.

"But that's the beauty of it." Wallachia said to himself. "A chaotic force of this level allows fate to shift onto paths that are otherwise highly improbable."

The vampire took out a coin and flipped it. The coin landed on its side. "Million to one chances. Nine times out of ten. Exactly as planned."

* * *

"We're going all-out on this one. Our best chance of winning is to isolate one of them and take them out before moving on to the others. Failing that, our numbers are equal, so we can fight one-on-one." Rin explained as she dashed up the steps. Ragna and Luvia ran behind her.

They passed through the gate and were met with a fully recovered Link. The young warrior looked up at the new arrivals. In one hand he held a mask that resembled a stylized version of his face. In the other he held a small green octahedral gem.

Ragna charged straight ahead, swinging his blade in a downwards arc at the enemy servant.

Link didn't move, a column of emerald light surrounded him and Ragna.

The red servant's eyes went wide. "What the-"

Both servants vanished in a flash of green light, teleported by Farore's Wind.

The eerie stillness of the desolate park was banished as Link and Ragna teleported in. Their relative positions had changed, causing Ragna to miss Link entirely with his attack.

Taking advantage of this moment, Link slammed the mask onto his face. The reaction was instantaneous - he began twitching as his whole body darkened.

"Shit. Not this guy again." Ragna said, fearing the return of the demented servant that had spawned this one.

Link threw his head back and let out a long, drawn-out scream as the transformation completed.

The new version of Link was strikingly different from the other two. In place of the green tunic he wore a silver breastplate decorated with a crescent moon symbol. He still had the pointed hat and wore the tunic underneath, but their color had changed to pale blue. A superhero mask-like red design had formed around his eyes, and a blue V-shaped symbol had appeared on his forehead, reaching all the way to his hairline. In his hand he held a large sword with an odd double helix blade consisting of two lengths of metal twisted around each other - one blue and one green.

Channelling the power of Fierce Deity, Link fired a new kind of Sword Beam. This one was larger, faster and colored the same pale blue as parts of his outfit.

Ragna crouched low, allowing the wave of energy to whoosh over his head, then he rolled to the side as Link followed up with a vertical one.

The red servant continued the momentum of his roll into a run, leaning heavily to the side as he dashed in a crescent towards Link. Sword Beams flew past him, each one barely missing.

As Ragna got close, Link got an easier target, firing a beam that the Grim Reaper would surely take head-on.

"Soul Eater!"

Dark purple and red flames surrounded Ragna's sword as he slashed through the incoming blade of energy and kept moving to the servant that fired it.

The Blood Scythe clashed against the Double Helix Sword. Ragna's reverse grip allowed him to lean his full body weight against the back of the blade. Link's two-handed grip gave him strength, but nowhere near the same leverage. He began to slide backwards, but then he planted his feet more firmly and forced Ragna back, firing another Sword Beam with the action.

The impact of the blast sent Ragna flying. He bounced along the grass a few times before he managed to right himself - horizontally. He stood on the trunk of a dead tree, completely unaffected by gravity.

Ragna looked "up" to see the Fierce Deity charging at him. He flipped forward with his blade outstretched, clashing with Link's as he passed over him. Saber touched down behind Archer for only a moment before he leaped to another tree and rebounded off it, striking from above again.

Link parried the blow, keeping his blade grinding against Ragna's as the red servant came down in front of him. The Grim Reaper danced backwards as the Fierce Deity advanced, their swords still connected. The rain of sparks from their weapons twisting around each other illuminated the forest.

The continued clash was an attempt by Link to put Ragna off-balance, but the red servant proved to be more maneuverable and forced him to overextend himself.

Link reacted by flipping forward and replicating Ragna's trick of standing on a tree trunk. The red servant gave chase and they began exchanging attacks while moving up the tree.

* * *

Rin swore under her breath as she saw Ragna vanish, but understood that leaving the two servants to fight their own battle wasn't the worst possible idea. The two magi didn't break stride and continued to run.

The temple loomed before them. Kuzuki emerged from the front door, while Caren was perched on the roof.

"Cover my escape, Souichirou." She commanded before leaping over the heads of the two intruders and dashing out the gate.

"As you wish." Kuzuki replied coldly. He was utterly fascinated with this woman, and to die defending her was a great honor for him.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Rin yelled as she staggered and turned, trying to redirect herself to go after the churchwoman. It took a few seconds of sliding forward to go from running at full pelt in one direction to doing so in the opposite one.

Luvia slowed her sprint to a relaxed jog before stopping in front of Kuzuki. "Heh. You're the bastard who knocked me out earlier. Ready for a rematch?"

The teacher adjusted the sleeves of his suit and pushed up his glasses. "The result will be the same."

"We'll see about that." Luvia said as she raised her hands.

Kuzuki closed the distance between them in less than a second and launched his attack. What should've been a straight punch became a hook at the last second.

Surprisingly, Luvia was completely unharmed. The fist hung in the air millimeters in front of her nose. Kuzuki redirected his momentum on the fly, turning the punch into an elbow strike.

This attack was shut down by Luvia's gloved hand over the point of his elbow. The teacher saw her smirk and realized just what she was about to do.

Luvia's other hand slammed against Kuzuki's wrist, forcing it towards her. Combined with the pressure on the elbow this resulted in the arm being fully extended.

The sudden jerk made Kuzuki fall to his knees beside Luvia. The blue magus followed through on her motion, forcing the wrist upwards while pushing down on the elbow and dislocating the joint.

A knee to the stomach winded the teacher and sent him sprawling backwards. As a trained assassin he easily recovered and jumped to his feet. He held the useless arm in front of him and flicked it, popping the elbow back into place.

"Damn, you're tougher than I thought." Luvia commented, crossing her arms and looking down her nose at her opponent.

"It will take more than that to defeat me." Kuzuki said monotonously.

_That__ was__ a__ mistake,__ crossing__ your__ arms__ leaves__ you__ helpless. _The teacher thought as he punched again, this time he'd strike the back of her head and finish it.

What he didn't expect was that Luvia had baited him...

The moment he moved to attack she pushed forward into him, her crossed arms position allowing her to strike his shoulder with the upper arm while grabbing his leg with the lower one.

Kuzuki's arm couldn't continue wrapping around after the impact, stopping it from reaching Luvia's head. The girl lowered her stance and lifted him onto her shoulders.

The suited man struggled helplessly as he was thrown to the ground. To make things worse, Luvia continued to grip his arm as he landed, preventing him from rolling or employing any kind of fall-breaking technique.

Luvia went on the offensive, dropping on top of her opponent and winding him even more than he already was from the fall.

Kuzuki tried to use one of his twisting punches to attack Luvia at this short range, but being on his back meant that he couldn't use his body to add power to the attack. Nevertheless, the shock was enough to make Luvia roll off of him.

"Ngh... You counter every one of my moves... How?" Kuzuki groaned, struggling to his feet.

"Once I saw how your Snake style works, I understood that it relies on disorientation and confusion." Luvia explained as she adjusted her gloves. "It's quite simple to figure out the direction changes once you know the principle behind them. The odd positions you rely on leave you vulnerable to grabs if you miss. It's hard to resist when your arm is already twisted."

Kuzuki's eyes widened slightly. _How __could__ someone __analyze __my __style __so __thoroughly __from __such __a __short __exposure?_

The teacher let loose a shower of blows. He couldn't win through strength or technique, so his only option was to overwhelm his opponent with speed.

But this too was ultimately futile. Each oncoming fist was intercepted by Luvia. Then he noticed that the attacks weren't just being slapped away - she was actually guiding them to miss her.

Luvia was calm, in control, and perfectly safe in the eye of the storm. She continued to nonchalantly redirect the strikes no matter how fast they were. If anything it was easier now since Kuzuki was sacrificing strength for pure speed.

The barrage was cut short by the blast of a Gandr shot. Kuzuki clutched his right arm. The combination of it being shot and previously dislocated made it impossible to use it for the remainder of this fight.

_I don't need both arms to kill you. I still have one trump card._

The left fist shot straight at Luvia's face and she dodged without a problem...

Exactly as Kuzuki had planned. He stuck out his fingers and rammed them into her neck.

Only he didn't grab flesh.

He could only stare at the ruby Luvia was holding up - the ruby he grabbed by accident. The jewel detonated, leaving Luvia's hand perfectly unharmed but destroying several of his fingers.

Souichirou Kuzuki didn't scream from the pain. He stoically watched as Luvia slammed a handful of gems into his chest.

Beams of colored light shot out of his back, leaving gaping holes. The suited assassin slumped to the ground, dead. His last thoughts were of Caren, hoping that her fate wasn't as tragic.

* * *

Caren bounded down the steps with Rin close behind. The churchwoman was nimble enough to take the stairs at more than ten at a time without any loss of balance. Suddenly, she swerved to the left and entered the forest.

It took a moment for Rin to adjust her direction as she skidded along one of the flat sections of the stairs.

The red-clad magus weaved around trees, searching for a sign of her quarry. An arm came out from behind a tree trunk, catching Rin at chest height and knocking her to the ground.

The girl rolled reflexively as three Black Keys were sunk into the ground where she had landed. She kicked at the hand holding them, causing Caren to recoil and let go of her weapons.

Rin righted herself and grabbed one of the swords as she lunged at Caren. Unfortunately, it exploded into sheets of paper the moment she took it.

Weaponless, the magus used her momentum to tackle the churchwoman, sending both of them tumbling down the steep incline.

The two women struggled for control. Rin had managed to line up a Gandr shot to Caren's face, but the churchwoman grabbed her wrist and pulled it away just in time.

Several wild Gandr shots flew into the night sky.

Caren managed to get her leg under her opponent and dislodged Rin with a kick to the chest.

Using this time, Caren produced more Black Keys and launched them at her supine opponent.

Rin knocked them out of the air with more Gandr shots and got to her feet with a spin, sprinting towards her opponent and firing frantically.

Caren ducked behind a tree and emerged with another wave of Black Keys.

Rin dropped instantly, sliding under the blades and saturating the area with Gandr shots.

Caren was forced back into cover. As Rin slid into view, she brought a Black Key down.

The girl rolled out of the way as expected, but this time her shadow was caught, immobilizing her.

Two Black Keys formed in Caren's other hand as she prepared for the killing blow.

Three shots echoed through the forest as the swords landed a few meters behind the churchwoman.

Even on her side and facing away from her opponent, Rin had managed to aim her hand over her own shoulder and hit with three decisive shots. The first two had removed Caren's weapons, while the third impacted squarely on her bicep, immobilizing that arm completely.

While Caren was still stunned, Rin took out a sapphire and blindly whipped it at her enemy.

The gem hit Caren just below her ribcage and the reaction was instantaneous - lances of red and black ice emerged from the right side of her back.

Some of the longer spikes broke off due to gravity. Her entire side below her lung had been shredded by the flash freezing. The churchwoman let out a piercing scream as the pain finally registered.

Amazingly, Caren was still more mobile than Rin and managed to limp away as the magus girl struggled to grip the sword that had pinned her shadow.

Rin didn't care, that wound was too serious for Caren to get far.

* * *

Thin, dead branches danced in the wind as the sound of metal on metal rung out nearby. A pair of red steel-tipped boots touched down on the branch. It barely bent despite the weight of the servant being enough to snap it instantly.

Ragna dashed along the length of it as Sword Beams flew past him. One severed the tip of the branch just as he jumped to another tree.

The red servant kicked off the trunk and launched himself downwards, straight at his opponent.

"Belial Edge!"

The tip of Ragna's blade bounced off Link's shield of golden triangles. The Fierce Deity thrust his hand out, causing the barrier to push Ragna back.

The Grim Reaper crashed through the bark of a tree and was embedded in it by the sheer force of the impact.

Link spun around with his Double Helix Sword outstretched, firing a wave of energy in a circle around him. Every tree within thirty meters was cut down. Ragna took a direct hit and was further injured as the tree he was stuck in came down on top of him.

Ragna painfully stood up, coughing as he shook off the debris. He lunged at Link, hammering on the shield that appeared as soon as his attacks got close. Each time his blade struck it, the darkness surrounding it dissipated but he summoned more dark flames to replace it.

The red servant ran around his opponent, attacking from all sides and probing the shield for weaknesses.

He brought the Blood Scythe down from above. Link just looked up nonchalantly as Ragna used the Triforce that blocked his attacks as a platform. The Grim Reaper dragged his blade along the surface, running from one side of it to the other.

Suddenly, he was launched straight up by it. The Fierce Deity jumped up after him, extending his hand and firing a thin golden beam at Ragna.

Two massive Triforces appeared around Ragna, one was just a glowing outline, but the other had filled triangles. Each was a solid plane of force that trapped the servant high above the ground. The golden glow was almost enough to outshine the city lights.

Link came up to Ragna's level. The red servant could only watch as his inevitable demise began.

The Fierce Deity slashed repeatedly, flourishing and spinning with the Double Helix Sword. The repeated wide swings cut deep into Ragna's body, quickly turning him into a bloody mess.

Link readied his sword for the final strike - a powerful stab right through Ragna's heart.

"Barrier Burst!"

In a last ditch attempt, Ragna expanded his barrier and overloaded it with mana. Such a technique usually wouldn't be enough to counter a Noble Phantasm's ultimate blow, but he didn't need that.

The Triforces keeping him trapped buckled, shocking Link and causing him to pause for a moment.

Overwhelmed with power, the golden triangles shattered. Ragna started falling immediately. Link pursued him downwards with his blade at the ready, intent on finishing the fight with a gravity-assisted impalement.

"So, you think you're the only one who can enhance his abilities? Try this! Blood Kain!" Ragna yelled. The back of his right hand began to glow and dark energy exploded around him. Darkness trailed above him as he fell before forming into a single red and black wing.

The dark servant righted himself just before hitting the ground and landed gracefully. He looked up calmly at the hero falling straight towards him.

Link's victory was so close before, but now it really was the final clash. He thrust his sword straight down, knowing that it would overpower any defense Ragna had.

Archer's eyes went wide, blood dripped out of his mouth and landed at Saber's feet.

The Blood Scythe had been partially extended, turning it into a makeshift spear that had impaled Link as he came down to attack. He could penetrate any defense that Ragna was capable of producing at this point, but he had no way to avoid an attack that would hit before his own.

Ragna retracted his weapon, lowering the helpless servant closer to him.

"Darkness consume you!"

The Grim Reaper's right hand turned into a massive claw that he used to grab Link's head. Tendrils of red energy shot up around them. The surge of power practically destroyed Link.

Once the wave of crimson had subsided, several red orbs emerged from Link and were absorbed by Ragna. He dropped the husk of a servant, but Link dissolved into a cloud of colorful fairies before he hit the ground.

Link didn't see Ragna restore himself to perfect fighting form using the stolen life force.

* * *

Caren stumbled to the base of the mountain, reaching flat ground at last. She had fallen several times on her way down and could barely walk any more. Her white hair had been stained a deep red and more blood had dripped down, creating a trail as she moved. She was utterly exhausted at this point, and fell forward onto the grass.

"So we finally meet, my daughter." A voice said above her.

The mortally wounded woman looked up to see a man in dark robes. "F-father?"

"I am disappointed. Despite training with the Church, you have failed to reach the level of Executor. Your proficiency with the Black Keys is minimal." Kirei explained.

"Ngh... That wasn't my path. My gift was to seek out demons, I wasn't a fighter." Caren groaned, writhing on the ground in front of her father. "But then... I heard about the Grail. The divine power it holds could prevent the suffering of everyone. I-I had to have it... the cup of salvation... within my reach..."

Kirei looked down on her with unnerving eyes. "The Fuyuki Grail is a cursed object, it can bring only destruction no matter what your true wish is. Yet you sought this power. You let the temptation of an easy way to save the world corrupt you. Look at the destruction you have wrought as you chased it."

"What... What have I become?" Caren asked herself. Remorse invaded her mind. She remembered the person she was - the part of herself she cast off to fight in this war.

"You tried to be a killer, you thought you were prepared to take life at a moment's notice just like every participant of this war. And yet this still wasn't enough. All of your conviction and faith is useless when you lack the drive to harm others, the will to destroy." Kirei said sternly.

Tears flowed down Caren's cheeks. "Forgive me, God... Please forgive me..."

The robed man snapped his fingers. "This is the end, my daughter. I have found a suitable replacement for you. Someone with far more skill... and lacking your weaknesses."

Caren looked up at her father for the last time as her whole body was set alight. Kirei just watched dispassionately as his daughter burned to death.

The man in red casually stepped around the burning corpse and walked off with his master.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So much for getting the whole thing done by the end of the year. .

However, I fully intend to finish this fanfic, no matter what it takes.

This was a particularly big chapter. I considered splitting it up into the hurt/comfort section and the badass combat section, but the title worked so well that I decided to release it as one.

Kirei really is a bastard. Tune in next time to find out more about his secret plans for the Grail War!


	13. Revelations : Kotomine's Betrayal

**Revelations** - Kotomine's Betrayal

The church on the hill finally went dark again as the gold light over the city faded, moments later, a dimmer red light flashed before going out as well.

The robed man looked contemplatively at the stained glass windows. "So, another servant has met their end," he said to himself.

He walked up and down the length of the main hall before returning to his back room. He sat in his armchair and began to leaf through a book.

The maid appeared at the entrance to the room and approached him silently.

"What have you discovered, Sakuya?" the man asked, aware of her presence even through he was facing away from her.

"Something of vital importance, Kotomine-sama," the maid replied, clearly uneasy about the news she had.

Kotomine closed his book. "I assume that Ragna the Bloodedge was victorious then. Correct?"

"Yes. But the most disquieting fact is that he revealed his source of power for a brief moment," Sakuya explained, shifting on her feet. "The energy I sensed was an Anti-World-type Noble Phantasm."

A smile crept across Kotomine's partially shadowed face. "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

Sakuya gave her master a quizzical look. "Kotomine-sama?"

"This kind of destructive potential is amazing. I cannot wait to see his true capabilities, especially in a battle with Sol," the robed man explained. "Ah, speak of the devil..."

The double doors of the church swung open. Kirei Kotomine entered, followed by the man in red.

The duo went into the back room, encountering the robed man and the maid.

"Welcome back, Kotomine Kirei-sama," Sakuya said.

Kirei walked towards the armchair. "My failure of a daughter is dead. Soon your time to rise will come."

"Hey! First I still have to make my grand entrance," Sol chimed in.

"Tired of hiding, Badguy?" Sakuya asked with a hint of sarcasm. "You should learn from Kotomine Shirou-sama. Even I am impressed by his patience and sophistication."

"Thank you, Sakuya. I don't squabble over getting exposure as long as our goals are met." Shirou stood from his armchair, placing his book on a nearby shelf. He was young, about Rin's age. But he looked much more mature in his robe-like priest's coat. His short hair was reddish-brown while his eyes were a shade of brown that was closer to yellow.

"Come, Sakuya. We have work to do," the young man said as he walked out of the room with poise.

* * *

The light of the dawn illuminated the Tohsaka mansion as Rin entered with Luvia close behind. Victorious but tired, the two girls crashed on couches in the dining room and quickly fell asleep.

Ragna stumbled into the house fifteen minutes later. His eyes were half-closed and he lethargically searched around for a place to sleep. Eventually he just draped himself over the back of a couch.

Luvia awoke a few hours later. She saw that Ragna had returned and was now asleep. Her eyes followed his arm, which was hanging down over Rin and touching her rather awkwardly.

She crept over to the sleeping servant and poked him a few times. "Ragna? Uh... Ragna?"

"Mmm... Delicious meat buns..." Ragna mumbled in his sleep, giving a good squeeze.

Luvia poked him harder. Ragna stirred and became aware of his situation. A white-gloved hand covered his mouth before he could scream from embarrassment.

"Be very careful, just lift up your hand slowly and-"

"Oh... It's so cute! I wanna hug it!" Rin exclaimed in her sleep, grabbing Ragna's arm and pulling it close to her chest.

"Help me..." Ragna mouthed.

Before Luvia could do anything to untangle them, Rin rolled to her side. Ragna was pulled along and flipped over the couch. His motion pulled Rin along in turn, causing both of them to end up in a heap on the floor.

"Ragna? What the hell are you doing?" Rin yelled. She looked down to his hand. "Y-you perverted servant!"

In a flash the girl was standing over him and started smacking him over the head.

"Ow! I didn't mean to do that! You were the one who latched onto my arm!" Ragna shouted, trying to shield himself with his hands. He couldn't put up any sort of effective resistance despite their difference in combat ability.

Luvia looked on, bemused by this outburst. "He's not lying, Rin. It wasn't intentional."

Rin turned around and pointed a finger at Luvia's face. "Quiet you! He's my stupid servant!"

"Geez! Will you cut it out already?" Ragna shouted. He stood up and ran his fingers through his hair, straightening it out after the beating. "I said it was an accident! You don't have to get so angry about it."

Rin looked sideways at him, frowning. "Hmph! You should've picked a better spot to sleep. Stupid servant!"

"Well you were the idiot who pulled me onto the floor!" Ragna shouted, bringing his face close to hers.

The master and servant stared intently into each other's eyes.

"Pervert!"

"Idiot!"

Luvia just looked on and sighed. The master and servant both huffed and went back to their rooms.

* * *

"Hmph! He may be a strong servant... and a decent cook. But his personality just irritates me so much!" Rin said to herself as she sat at her desk, reading through old books. "I can deal with fights to the death and advanced magecraft, but figuring out Ragna is just impossible!"

The girl continued her train of thought, eventually coming to what Luvia said about Lighting. "Luvia may have liked her servant, but I only keep mine around because he's useful."

Then Rin remembered what had happened the previous night after tending to her servant's injuries. "Well... it was just one time, and I was only doing it to make him feel better," she grumbled, turning slightly red. "It... It wasn't even anything serious..."

She ran a finger over her lips, remembering the sensation. Rin pondered for a moment, then suddenly cringed as a realization hit her.

"I gave my first kiss to a servant!"

Ragna was lying on his bed when he heard the outburst.

"First she likes me, now she hates me? Gimme a break," the servant sighed, his eyes half-closed from exasperation.

The door to Ragna's room burst open and Luvia stormed in.

"What the-"

"Come on! Lazy servant!" Luvia shouted as she dragged Ragna out of bed.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Luvia pulled Ragna along by his arm. The servant couldn't resist despite his superhuman strength. She kicked open the door to Rin's room and pointed her finger at the master.

"Tohsaka! You call yourself a magus? A real magus wouldn't mope about little things like romance when there are still enemies out there! You and Ragna can sort out your sexual tension later!" Luvia shouted, her usual haughty composure had been replaced with burning rage. She shoved Ragna into the room, causing him to land on the floor next to Rin's chair. He stood up and turned around just in time to take in the rest of the lecture.

"Now there are two other masters: The Einzbern girl and Assassin's unknown master. You said that Ilya wasn't hostile earlier, so my plan is to find out if she knows anything about the other master, then defeat her after we've dealt with the more unpredictable threat. Now if you two have any problems with my idea, you can talk to me about it. But your personal issues are now the lowest priority, so suck it up until a time when we don't have to fight for our lives!" Luvia took a deep breath as soon as she finished, both to replenish the air that she had used to give the speech and to calm down slightly.

The master and servant just stared at her with wide eyes. Neither bothered to object.

"What the hell was that?" Ragna asked, still in shock.

"I don't know, but I'm not angry any more..." Rin said as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

"Then it's decided! We're moving out tonight!" Luvia yelled enthusiastically.

* * *

The white-haired girl strolled happily down a dark road on the edge of town. A behemoth clad in a diving suit followed her with thundering steps.

Sensing another presence nearby, Ilya stopped and looked around. "Looks like it's time, Berserker. We may get a real fight at last."

The giant "looked" at her and gave a whale moan to show its agreement.

"Damn, this Berserker really is huge," a voice said behind them.

Ilya and the Big Daddy turned around and sized up their opponent - the man in red.

His height and build were similar to Ragna's, but his skin was far more tanned. He had long, spiked brown hair that was held up by a red headband that shaded his eyes. Sol Badguy's jacket was extremely short, showing off a tight undershirt. His muscular arms were completely bare except for a pair of fingerless gloves. He wore white jeans that were held up by a belt with the word "free" carved into the buckle and a red cloth hanging from it.

"The Berserker from the last war was completely different. A black-robed man with an X-scar on his face. I remember him having a unique Mad Enhancement that only worked in the moonlight," Sol explained. "Maybe this one will be just as interesting to fight at night."

A rectangular-bladed sword appeared in Sol's hand with a gout of fire. He kept the hand holding it at his side with the blade pointing behind him.

"Berserker, destroy him!" Ilya commanded.

The "eyes" of the giant turned red as it charged forward with amazing speed for its size, coming at Sol with its arm drill.

The red servant stepped aside effortlessly, causing his opponent to rush past. The Big Daddy was fast to accelerate, but couldn't turn on a dime.

Berserker skidded, sending pavement flying as it exerted itself to turn around. It tried to rush Saber again, but he simply jumped over the massive servant.

The Big Daddy spun around, swinging the drill in a wide arc. Sol ducked under it and swung his sword at what he presumed to be the lightly armored underarm area.

Clang!

Sol's Fireseal blade bounced off. Even the joints of the armor were reinforced enough to withstand a direct hit.

The giant launched a barrage of stabs. Sol managed to maneuver around the first few, but the increasing speed forced him to jump backwards to create some breathing room.

The Big Daddy roared and surged forward, trying to crush Sol with its sheer mass.

"Volcanic Viper!"

Just as Berserker was about to collide with him, Sol jumped up, swinging his sword upwards and sending the Big Daddy flying on a wave of fire.

The behemoth was momentarily disoriented by the totally alien sensation of flying. As the Big Daddy's ascent began to slow, Sol overtook it and brought his sword down.

There was a small earthquake as Berserker hit the ground, creating a crater in the road. The servant was stuck - it had been lodged into the ground by the force of the impact. Furthermore, it was extremely difficult for a Big Daddy to right itself when on its back.

Sol touched down and looked back at his helpless foe. He heard the rumble of a tanker truck in the distance.

"Time to finish this..."

Taking out the rear wheels of the truck was easy enough for a servant. The massive vehicle tipped over, tearing up the road as it slid across it, stopping right next to the defenceless servant.

Sol looked down at the trail of fuel near his boots. He snapped his fingers and a spark fell into the highly flammable substance. Flames snaked their way over to the wreck and the whole truck exploded in a tremendous fireball.

Rin, Ragna and Luvia arrived just in time to see the aftermath of the blast. The entire road and everything around it was covered with flaming debris. They glimpsed the man in red as he ran off.

"Whoa! What the hell happened here? And who was that guy?" Ragna asked as he surveyed the damage.

In the midst of the scorched road, Ilya clung to her servant.

"Berserker! Please wake up!"

The Big Daddy's armor had been blackened by the flames, but the girl used her magecraft to cool it down and make it safe to touch. Sadly, nothing she could do would save the servant.

"Please... Bubbles-kun..."

The little girl burst into tears. Her words became incoherent sobs.

As she cried, the servant started to dissolve. The Big Daddy's diving suit quickly turned to particles of rust that blew away.

"Illyasviel."

The girl looked up to see Rin standing over her.

"Uh... Ilya... I'm sorry. I understand that it... he was your friend."

Ilya sniffed and wiped her cheek. "Y-yeah. Bubbles-kun was the only one I had. I didn't want him to die!"

"It's not your fault, Ilya, and I'm sure that he's happy you survived," Rin said, giving a sad smile.

The tears started flowing again. Ilya stared at the ground where her servant had died. "Y-yeah, but now I'll never see him again!"

"But you'll never forget him, and he'll never forget you." Rin extended her hand. "Come on, Ilya, you can stay with us if you want."

Ilya looked up with watery red eyes. She reached out with her small hand to take Rin's.

* * *

Sol strutted into the church, still feeling the high of victory.

Kirei stood up from the front pew and faced his servant. "So, you have returned. Did it go as planned?"

"Yeah, Berserker is dead, and Saber has seen me."

"Then it is only a matter of time before he comes here."

Shirou emerged from the back room with Sakuya following him. The red servant eyed both of them as they approached Kirei.

"The pieces are in place, Shirou," the priest said.

"Ironic, isn't it. The one we seek to unleash is so similar to Lucifer - a bringer of light and destruction." Shirou chuckled as he said the last part, walking over to the lectern. "The ultimate taboo! The destroyer of universes! An angel who despises all creation! Rejoice!" The young man placed his hands on the lectern to support himself as he threw his head back and let out a maniacal cackle.

Sakuya looked on, perplexed by her master's display.

Shirou's head slumped forward as his laugh ended. "Can you imagine it, Sakuya?" he said, looking at her through his hair. "A being who will fulfil our dream to spread evil to other worlds! Tabuu is the one who sustains the very connection that made this Grail War so great! He has revealed to us the worlds that can be ravaged if he is set free!"

Sakuya folded her arms and gave her master a cold stare. "Hmph. So your plan is to let him destroy all our universes?"

"Exactly! That is the true purpose of the power within the Grail! It doesn't grant wishes as you know them - it can only cause suffering!" Shirou screamed. His eyes widened, causing his face to contort into one of pure insanity.

Knives materialized between the maid's fingers. "Can't let you do that, Shirou-me."

"What's with the sudden lack of respect for your master? I really am hurt by that," Shirou mocked.

Sakuya's eyes hardened. "My loyalty lies only with the Scarlet Devil! You and your angel can go die!"

"Insolent servant! By the power of the Command Spell, I forbid you to stop time!" Shirou shouted, invoking one of the three absolute orders he could give to his servant.

"Kill her, Sol," Kirei commanded.

Sakuya smirked. "Damn it, looks like this will actually be a challenge."

Sol charged, sweeping with his sword. Sakuya flipped out of the way, landing on a pew. The maid balanced on it for a moment before kicking off and throwing a volley of knives as she soared through the air.

Saber deflected the knives with a blast of flame. Assassin touched down on the opposite side of the hall from him.

Sakuya continued to throw knives as Sol ran at her, swatting them away with his sword.

The maid dodged to the side as he swung in a downwards arc. Fireseal cleaved straight through the floor, leaving a massive slash mark.

Sol pressed the attack, slashing wildly and forcing Sakuya to retreat. She back handspringed along the length of a pew while he cut it to pieces.

Sakuya ran towards the exit to the back rooms, slowing down Sol with more thrown blades. The red servant could easily deflect her normal ranged attacks, so she needed to drawn him into a more appropriate place for melee combat.

The door to the courtyard at the back of the church exploded in a shower of splinters as Sakuya exited the building.

The courtyard was extravagant compared to most of the church, with a large roof covering most of it and a fountain in the middle. The entire floor had been covered in white tiles except for a few garden beds.

"Bandit Revolver!"

Sol leapt through the door frame and spin kicked towards Sakuya. She slid under it and rolled over into a crouching stance.

The red servant continued his spin, turning around to face the maid just as she came at him with dual knives.

He ducked the first knife and parried the wrist that held the second with his free hand.

Sol turned and pulled the arm over his shoulder, trying to throw Sakuya.

The maid planted her other hand on the ground as she landed, turning the fall into a handspring. She had to let go of the knife in the process, but produced another one as she righted herself.

Fireseal came at her in a chest-height horizontal arc. Sakuya leaned back just enough to avoid it while still being close enough to counterattack.

Sol followed up with another slash straight away, this time much lower.

Sakuya jumped backwards and kicked off one of the columns that supported the roof. She sailed over her opponent, preparing to launch a barrage of knives.

"Volcanic Viper!"

The surge of flame smashed her through the roof. She landed on top of the church building, her uniform singed by the attack.

Sol stood on the other side of the roof, looking at his downed opponent. "Heh. Why don't you just accept that you can't win without your time powers?"

"I can't win without them," Sakuya said as she got up, giving a smug grin. "But stopping time is only one of them... Luna Dial! Fast Forward!"

Sakuya took off, balancing along the peak of the roof as she closed the gap between herself and her opponent in the blink of an eye.

"Impossible!" Sol breathed as he brought his sword up to block just in time.

The maid attacked with new resolve and blinding speed.

Flash. Flash. Flash. Flash.

The dual knives clanged off Sol's sword. His strength and the size of his weapon were the only advantages he still had.

Sakuya flipped and twirled, alternating normal and reverse grips on her knives as she let loose an increasingly complex pattern of slashes.

Sol kept stepping backwards, he had no effective way to counterattack while the knife blows rained down on him. His retreat brought him near the edge of the roof...

Thinking quickly, the red servant let out a burst of mana through the weapon as he blocked, stunning his opponent for a moment.

That moment wasn't very long when fighting an accelerated enemy, but it would have to do.

"Gun Flame!"

Sol brought his sword forward and released a blast of fire that rushed along the surface of the roof. Sakuya recovered from her daze with plenty of time left to jump back and left the flames burn out as they attempted to reach her.

Sakuya took off, sailing through the air and landing in the church's front courtyard. It was far larger and more open than the rear one.

Sol decided to slide down the side of the roof and walked over to the front - jumping after her would be suicide.

"Let us finish this, Mr. Badguy." Sakuya stood with knives held by their blades between her fingers. She crossed her arms in front of her body, revealing a total of eighteen knives - three between every two fingers.

"You really think that's enough knives, maid?" Sol said with an arrogant smirk.

He dashed towards her, his sword wreathed in flames.

Sakuya threw the knives in a simple spread. Sol could easily see the safe zones and maneuver through it. Looking head-on at the knives made it hard to judge the exact distance, but Sol had it figured well enough to dodge when they would be close.

"Last Word - Deflation World."

A blade grazed Sol's ribs.

_What?_

He looked down to see not one knife, but a line of semi-transparent ones. He heard cracking sounds behind him as the "beams" of knives pierced the church.

The extra knives faded in a moment, but Sakuya threw out another barrage.

Sol took two grazing hits to the arm as he tried to dodge. The "afterimages" of the knives had appeared momentarily, so it was impossible to avoid the attack once he was in its path.

Sakuya kept throwing more, guiding Sol with the knife beams.

The red servant grew increasingly desperate, dodging the knives by unnecessarily wide margins when possible. It was only then did he realize that he was now stuck in a cage made from the knife beams.

"Checkmate..." Sakuya whispered as she threw the last knife. "Deflation World!"

Nothing happened. The beams faded and Sol easily sidestepped the normal knife.

"What's the matter? Can't finish the job?" Sol mocked.

"Looks like she finally ran out. I severed our connection at the start of the fight, but it looks like her reserves were almost enough to kill you." Shirou interjected. He walked from the doors of the church over to his weakened servant.

"Damn you... Shirou..." Sakuya said in a strained voice. She still stood tall, but it was obvious that she didn't have any strength left.

Shirou looked his servant in the eyes. "That was a neat trick. Even though you couldn't stop time, you still had other ways of manipulating it."

"Y-yeah. He could dodge my knives normally, but then I brought in their pasts and futures. I think I proved my superiority."

"You what?" Sol screamed.

Shirou turned around and started walking away. "Let her believe what she wants, just make sure she's dead."

"You don't need to make sure of that. But know that you've never beaten me." Sakuya said with a triumphant smile.

Shirou looked back just in time to witness his former servant's death.

Sol just stared with wide eyes.

Sakuya Izayoi finally stopped willing her continued existence in this world. Without the mana to sustain her body, it fell apart. Hundreds of ornate red-backed cards blew away into the sky as dawn came.

"Damn it! DAMN IT!" In his rage, Sol scorched the ground where she had been standing.

* * *

The appearance of a new servant had complicated things considerably. Rin was glad on some level that she wouldn't have to fight Ilya, but now being up against two unknown foes presented a variety of new challenges, especially when one of them was logically impossible.

Rin had heard of hacks that allowed the rules of the Grail to be modified, but the very idea of allowing another master and servant outside the usual seven was extremely unusual, especially when they made their appearance after the majority of the War had already been fought.

_Could this be related to the anomaly that summoned our weird servants? _Rin thought to herself as she walked towards the church. Ragna walked behind her, keeping an eye out for the new servant.

"This is bad. Looks like there was a servant fight here," Rin commented, noticing the damaged roof and the burn mark on the stone tiles of the courtyard.

Ragna examined the blackened floor. "Wouldn't that be a good thing? One less enemy to fight."

"Yes, but it means that our remaining enemy is very powerful, and actively seeking out and destroying servants," Rin explained. She looked over to the imposing building, narrowing her eyes. "There's someone coming out of the church. Quickly, use your concealment power to hide our presence!"

The master and servant sprinted over to the bushes that lined either side of the courtyard. Ragna activated his Concealment Ars, masking their presence even further.

Kirei exited through the double doors followed a younger man who was dressed similarly to him, as well as the red servant.

_So Kotomine was the final master. But who is that other priest?_

"Has everything been moved to the temple, Shirou?" Kirei asked as he walked through the courtyard.

"Yes, we were fortunate that your biological daughter had already started our work for us. It made setting things up a lot easier."

Sol chuckled. "Shame she failed against the Tohsaka girl. You're more of a Kotomine than she could've ever hoped to be, Shirou."

_So the churchwoman was his daughter? And he has a son as well..._

"I knew that he was destined for this when I found him dying amidst the flames. I would've left him to suffer, but when I saw that he had manifested a Command Seal ten years before the next war I realized that he had a special connection to the Grail," Kirei explained, folding his arms behind his back. "That is why I healed him and trained him in both Magecraft and the Church's methods."

_An adopted apprentice. His training must have been parallel to mine._

Without warning, a blade impaled Kirei through the neck, entering between his vertebrae and coming out through his windpipe. The priest's eyes were wide open as he realized what had happened. His whole body was paralyzed and he couldn't speak. The only sounds that escaped his lips were strained gasps as he struggled to breathe.

The sword was similar to a Black Key, but slightly longer and with a more prominent guard. The blood-covered blade was the only thing holding Kirei up.

"Your biggest mistake, Father, was assuming that this would be a shared victory. The Grail only requires one master and one servant. Sol and myself should suffice." Shirou smiled as he pulled back the sword, causing the limp body of Kirei Kotomine to fall to the ground. The weapon faded, splattering the tiles at Shirou's feet with blood.

Sol looked down at the corpse of his former master. "Damn, you're a cold bastard. Reminds me of the way Kirei backstabbed ol' Tokiomi."

"Requiescat In Pace, and so on. Now, make a contract with me and destroy this place," Shirou commanded in an apathetic voice.

Rin's mind could barely make sense of what she had just seen. Kirei was the final master all along and he was the one who killed Rin's father in the previous war, despite them being allies. Now he had been betrayed by his own pupil - this Shirou magus, who was also a master, possibly even Sakuya's.

_The scorch mark - he must have betrayed her as well._

The source of the mysterious servant had finally been revealed - a carry over from the previous war. The exact mechanics were unknown to Rin, but this theory worked better than any others she had.

Shirou finished the chant that bound Sol to him, and the servant turned to the church.

"Tyrant Rave!"

Sol punched the air in front of him, releasing a wave of fire that impacted the church, simultaneously demolishing it and setting it ablaze. Stained glass windows blew out as the whole building came down.

Ragna stared at the inferno with the eyes of a terrified child. A burning sensation started at the attachment point of his cybernetic arm. The heat spread through his arm until it was completely consumed in searing pain.

Mocking laughter filled his ears. He remembered the man who took his siblings - the one responsible for all his suffering.

Rin saw her servant trembling and clutching his right arm.

"Ragna!" she whispered firmly. "Come on! We have to leave!"

She grabbed his right hand and squeezed tightly. The comforting touch penetrated Ragna's dread, providing a lifeline back to reality. The servant shook his head, dispelling the disturbing images.

"Ragna!" the voice was clear now. The servant looked at his master. "Ragna! We have to get out of here right now!"

The duo sprinted from the cover of the bushes into the forest.

"Huh?" Sol turned around from his observation of the flames, sensing someone leaving.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The Reveal! Hope you were all surprised by this. Now reread all the Kotomine sections and they'll make a lot more sense. XD

Note that I never mentioned Shirou being dead. The idea of making him Kotomine's apprentice came to me from some fanarts I stumbled upon. Expect this version to be radically different to Emiya.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tune in next time as our heroes come face to face with the villains of this story!


	14. Foreboding Depths : Shadow And Flame

**Foreboding Depths** - Shadow and Flame

Even in the early morning, the footpath of the massive red bridge that connected the two halves of the town was almost deserted. The light of the rising sun made a line of golden light on the surface of the river.

Rin was still thinking about all the new things she had found out as she ran across the bridge. The final master being a secret student of Kirei complicated things, especially with his overpowered servant - a carryover from the last war.

Then there was the problem of her own servant. Ragna seemed fine on the surface as he ran alongside her, but she knew that deep down he was still plagued by issues from his past.

Getting lost in those thoughts had its disadvantages. As Rin devoted all her mental energy to getting home and pondering, she completely missed the presence that was following them along the underside of the bridge.

She was almost at the end when a ball of flame flew out from under the bridge and landed on one of the girders. The fire dissipated to reveal the red-clad servant from earlier standing horizontally on the girder at eye level. Rin didn't bother confronting him, instead vaulting over the railing. She would either land in water or the riverside park...

* * *

Rin touched down on the paved ground of the park. Ragna landed next to her.

"So, run or fight?" he asked.

"I don't like the idea of fighting someone who was strong enough to kill Berserker, but it looks like we don't have a choice," Rin explained.

The red servant jumped down to confront them, his rectangular blade held in one hand as he walked towards the pair.

"Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste." Sol chuckled as he said the last part. "I am Sol Badguy, the Flame of Corruption!"

Ragna looked his opponent up and down. "Tch. Nice to meet you, Mr. Badguy. Name's Ragna the Bloodedge, but my title is the Grim Reaper."

Sol assumed a fighting stance, holding his sword behind his body. "Looks like you'll be dying today, Grim Reaper!"

"Not a chance!" Ragna shouted as he charged forward, materializing his sword.

"Gauntlet Hades!"

"Grand Viper!"

The two red servants rushed towards each other. Sol went low, sliding along the ground and leaving a trail of fire. Ragna went high, darkness surrounding his fist as he flew over Sol.

For a moment, the attacks of the two Sabers looked like a Yin-Yang symbol. Then they parted, skidding to a stop in the other's starting position.

Rin rolled out of the way as the fiery servant got close, ending up in a crouching stance about two meters away.

The master wanted to help her servant in this fight. She prepared to spring up and fire a barrage of Gandr shots...

_W-what's happening? I can't move..._

Rin's entire body felt heavy. She strained to stand up, but it seemed like the only action that didn't put up any resistance was moving downwards. It was like being submerged in a deep ocean - the feeling of a "column" of water pushing down. At lower depths the amount of water over a person's body would weigh many tons.

She heard Ragna's voice, but she couldn't even turn her head towards it. "Rin! Sol, you bastard! What did you do?"

Sol looked down at his hand, experimentatively opening and closing it a few times before giving an impressed smile. "Looks like my new master can tap the Grail's mana. This makes me even stronger than feeding on souls!"

"I'll never-"

Those were the last words Rin heard before all sounds were drowned out by a muffled rippling, not unlike the sound heard when underwater. Her vision was going dark, to the point where all she could see were the blurred shapes of the servants and the flashes of their attacks. Her arms and legs gave out, but she didn't feel the ground against her as she slumped down onto it.

The red specters moved faster in the black void, launching slashes back and forth. The trails of their blades bounced between them - a dance of orange and purple comets in starless space.

One of them launched a wave of darkness. The other stepped aside and moved in, sending the shape that was Ragna flying with a kick.

The combatants left her field of vision. Rin didn't feel the ground quake as they clashed somewhere nearby.

The two red blurs returned a moment later, clashing repeatedly. A burst of orange appeared and remained even as the fighters moved away from it.

_Sol must have lit something on fire._

More fires ignited around Sol as he flew upwards, hitting Ragna with the flaming blade.

A moment later the white-haired red servant fell to the ground.

_I have to help Ragna..._

Rin closed her eyes. Her vision was almost useless anyway.

_Think... How do I deal with this overwhelming mana?_

Rin remembered something important about Magic Circuits - when a contract is made, they project outwards to supply the servant with mana. But this also means that a sudden increase in environmental mana would be more likely to overload an unprepared magus.

The girl cleared her mind and began systematically closing and reopening the circuits, purging the excess mana.

Her arms began to feel lighter, then her legs. Clangs of metal could be heard over the low rumble as it began to fade. The concrete tiles she was lying on could be felt against her skin.

The magus struggled to her feet and opened her eyes, witnessing the battle in full color and high definition.

She raised her hand in front of her, pointing at the enemy servant.

"Anfang."

Ragna and Sol had locked blades. The Flame of Corruption clearly had an advantage over the Grim Reaper.

Suddenly, a blast of darkness hit Sol. It was originally a Gandr shot, but the extra power poured into it made it a super fast missile instead of a normal bullet. Dark energy exploded outward from Sol's chest, sending him flying backwards.

Sol skidded to a halt, still on his feet but shaken up by the unexpected attack.

Rin walked forward slowly as she fired several dark blasts in rapid succession. Sol managed to block most of them with his sword, but was pushed back by each one. Ragna rejoined the fight, swinging his blade in a wide arc that continued to force Sol to retreat.

"Die! You bastard servant!" screamed Rin as she focused the mana flowing through her body. Carefully channelled, the increased supply of energy had allowed her to fire spells that were far more potent that her usual Gandr shots.

The Command Seal on Rin's right hand glowed with a red light. It intensified as she fired, looking like shining crimson flame.

The spell didn't resemble a Gandr shot at all, it was closer to the storm of darkness produced by Ragna's finishing moves.

Ragna jumped out of the way just in time. The surge of dark flame engulfed Sol. The servant's screams could be heard above the sound of the rushing flames.

"Return to me!" a voice commanded.

Rin and Ragna looked up, seeing Shirou looking down from the bridge. Sol materialized next to him. His clothes were ragged and he had several burn-like wounds on his arms and body.

"Come down here and fight us, coward!" Ragna yelled.

Shirou cackled. "I don't need to! The Churchwoman was kind enough to provide us with a way of accessing the Great Grail without the use of Illyasviel."

"W-what?" Rin stammered. "That's impossible..."

"Ah, but I've found a way. Three days, starting from midnight tonight! That's all it will take to bring out the angel of destruction!" Shirou threw his head back, letting his maniacal laughter fill the air.

"Not if I can help it!"

Rin raised her hand to fire again. The light of the Command Seal appeared as before, but this time it was accompanied by a sudden sharp pain, like a long needle being driven into the length of her arm.

"Aaaah!"

Rin clutched her hand and fell to her knees. Ragna rushed over to her.

The girl winced, the fingers on her right hand were clenched into a tight fist. She tried to cover the glow with her other hand, but the red flames escaped between her fingers.

Ragna's eyes widened. "It can't be... the Azure Grimoire?"

The light finally faded. Rin collapsed into Ragna's arms.

The villainous duo on the bridge took advantage of this distraction to make their escape.

To an onlooker it would appear to be the embrace of two lovers - Ragna supported Rin's back with one hand, while the other was immersed in her wavy black hair, holding up her head.

"Ngh... Ragna..." Rin murmured as she looked up at him with half-closed eyes.

"Rin, are you alright?" Ragna asked.

"I-I think so," Rin replied weakly. "What... was that?"

Ragna gave her a concerned look. "I'm not sure, but I think you somehow managed to access the Azure Grimoire."

"Azure Grimoire? What's that?"

"You could say that it's my Noble Phantasm - my greatest power," Ragna explained as he shifted his grip on her and lifted her up.

Rin squirmed as Ragna carried her, then wrapped her arms around his neck and settled comfortably. "Why didn't you use it before?"

"I've brought out small amounts of its power, but fully activating it is extremely risky."

"Then... how did I manage to use it?"

"I'm not sure, I think you may have accidentally tapped into its power through our connection."

"Does it always hurt like that?"

"No, it must be because you were using it through me. Usually it's just taxing, but not outright painful," Ragna said. He thought back to what had happened earlier in the fight. "Speaking of which, how are you holding up after that mana flood? I'm used to extreme concentrations due to the Seithr in my world, but a human being exposed to that much..."

Rin looked down. "It was... unpleasant, to say the least. My body had almost shut down before I managed to get things under control."

"You know..." Ragna blushed slightly. "I got a bit worried there, first when you collapsed during the fight, and again afterwards."

Rin pulled herself closer, resting her head on Ragna's chest. "I was a bit scared as well, but when you caught me, I knew it would be okay."

Ragna kissed Rin's hair, feeling her relax in his arms as he walked.

* * *

Shirou stepped carefully down the ruined corridor of the temple, avoiding the debris that had been scattered over the floor by Link's attempt at combat. He looked into the doorway of each room he passed, but then kept walking.

He entered the final room he came to. Compared to the other ones, it was neat - almost a little too neat. The young man walked over to the corner and fiddled with a section of the floor.

Sol stood in the doorway. "So, have you found it?"

"Ah, here it is!" Shirou said, raising a sealed metal case covered with arcane markings.

"That's what we're gonna use to bring out the big guy?" Sol asked.

Shirou dusted off the container with his hand. "One of the Holy Church's sealed artifacts - Dead Apostle remains. This one was said to be a powerful magus in his life. His unique circuits should provide me with the extra capacity required to use my connection with the Grail to control it."

Sol thought for a few moments, then turned back to Shirou. "Yeah, but why do we go for this plan if it takes three days? I could just snatch the Einzbern girl and we could have this done in a few hours."

Shirou smiled - the smile of a chess player luring his opponent into a trap. "Because they know about our time limit. This gives them two options: striking fast or taking time to prepare. If they strike soon, it'll be using whatever they can throw together. If, however, they take advantage of the full time limit to gather resources and plan..."

Sol caught on. "We only have to delay them until it's ready. Once Tabuu comes out, they lose."

"Exactly. A true strategist doesn't require specific circumstances to succeed. Instead he makes a plan where every possibility leads to eventual success." Shirou explained.

"But what if they take a day to prepare, then attack?" Sol asked, pointing out the obvious gap in the plan.

Shirou walked out of the room, not even turning to face Sol as he passed by him. "Then we kill them, of course. Just don't try that trick again. I don't expect it to hinder her at all next time."

"Heh. Ragna may be tough, but he still doesn't know about my full power. I should be able to toast him in no time," Sol boasted as he moved to follow his master.

* * *

Luvia ran to the door as soon as she heard the knocking.

"Wow, what took you so-" She noticed that Ragna was carrying Rin like she had been injured. "Oh... Is she alright?"

"I'm fine, but you need to get your eyes checked if you can't see that," Rin snarked.

"Well excuse me for caring about you for once!" Luvia shouted.

Ragna squeezed his eyes shut. "Tch. Not this again."

He carried Rin inside and placed her on the couch. Tea was already prepared, so Ragna poured her a cup and she explained what she had discovered to Luvia and Ilya.

"That's an annoying cheat - forcing the Grail to activate without winning the War," Ilya commented.

Luvia stared into her tea, her wandering thoughts led to a realization. "But it has been won already, in a way. Six servants are dead..."

"And that means Sol can claim the winner's position just as easily as I can," Ragna said, running his fingers through his hair. "At least the interface they're using is slow enough that we can still stop it."

"How exactly do you plan to do that?" Luvia asked. "I'm pretty sure that they won't make the mistake of doing a mana flood again."

"Yeah. Doesn't mean we can't beat him. If it comes to it..." Ragna looked down, then at Luvia, and then over to Rin. "I'll use the Azure Grimoire."

Rin gasped almost silently, giving her servant a concerned look. "Ragna, do you really think that's a good idea?"

"If it's the only thing that can kill him..." Ragna stood up and went to leave. "Then hell if I'm not gonna use it."

"What's with the sudden martyr act?" Luvia asked sarcastically.

"I'm hoping that for once my powers will prevent destruction," he said as he went to his bedroom.

The servant stayed in there for the rest of the day. The three magi debated and discussed their options for hours. It was like three scientists putting together a solution to a renowned theoretical problem - each suggestion was weighed up and those with enough merit were noted down. In the end, it was like many other discussions of that type - they were left with several valid ideas, but none that were anywhere near ideal.

* * *

After sunset, a pair of black-clad aristocrats arrived at a cafe near the scorched riverside park. To a casual observer, it would appear to be an old man having tea with his granddaughter.

"Looks like the Grail War is almost over. This is where we find out if our venture was really worth it," the old man said.

"Indeed, Wizard Marshall. I am eager to see what comes after the end of this cycle of destruction," the girl replied.

Wizard Marshall Zelretch looked up into the night sky. "At the very least, it'll be more interesting."

"It is quite a gamble, nonetheless. Even with the alchemist's calculations, our victory is far from assured." Rachel sipped from her cup, then smiled as she sensed another presence nearby. "Ah, speak of the devil."

The Night of Wallachia approached the duo and sat down with them. He kept his disturbing blood-pool eyes closed for the time being - a sign of stoicism.

"It appears that our chaotic antagonist is causing more problems than predicted," the vampire stated.

Rachel tilted her head quizzically. "Problems? What problems?"

"Our valiant hero seems to have been affected rather... significantly by the church fire. As much as I love seeing religious buildings being destroyed, I must say that him witnessing it was hardly a good thing," Wallachia explained.

"How bad do you think it is?" Zelretch asked.

"If we want our current plan to succeed... Let me think..." Wallachia poured himself a cup of tea and took a deep sip. "Before, the probability of the required conditions for victory being present was twenty to thirty percent. Considering the eventual consequences of recent events, it falls to less than point one percent."

The old magician's eyes widened. "A one in one thousand chance?"

Wallachia opened his eyes slightly and looked at Zelretch. "Worse even. But not as bad as one in ten thousand."

"I knew that Ragna had problems, but even I didn't think he could be that unreliable," Rachel said, flipping her pigtails haughtily. She finished her tea and stood up.

"What do we do now?" Zelretch asked, looking somewhat dejected.

"You were the one who told me that there was still hope. Even with these odds, I continue to believe in your magus and her servant." Wallachia gave a slight smile that actually showed something resembling happiness, unlike his usual insane grin.

"It's somewhat aggravating that we cannot simply tell the couple what to do. But I suppose the audience isn't meant to provide input," Rachel complained.

"True. Although we do catch falling scenery from time to time," Zelretch said with a chuckle.

The Night of Wallachia almost seemed to roll his eyes. "Like catching giant threats from space is really that hard..."

The three of them burst out laughing, their worries temporarily hidden by the humor.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Contrary to what Rachel said, the audience should provide input sometimes. More reviews would be appreciated ._.

I hope you found this chapter to be interesting. Tune in next time as the endgame approaches!


	15. Living Weapon : Turn To Ash

**Living Weapon** / Turn to Ash

Ragna shifted around on the bed, unable to sleep. The events he saw today had reopened old wounds.

_Destruction. Is that all I'm good for?_

He held up his right hand, staring at the circular red covering on the back of it - the location of his Azure Grimoire.

_My power. The one I used to fight the forces of the Librarium._

He moved his fingers, clenching a fist then opening it again.

_The day I lost my arm... the day I got this. Destruction only begets more destruction._

He turned to his side, sliding the arm under the pillow. Still not comfortable.

_Everything I touch dies. I really am a Grim Reaper._

He twisted and turned, but the bed didn't feel right no matter what position he was in.

_I guess I am just a weapon after all. Isn't that what a servant should be?_

Eventually, Ragna fell asleep due to sheer exhaustion.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, rousing Ragna from his sleep.

_Ugh. Morning already. I guess I should make breakfast..._

The servant moved to get up, but then he had another thought.

_To hell with it. Nobody appreciates my cooking. They just want me to be their sword._

He slumped back down and shut his eyes. Easily dozing off this time.

* * *

"Wake up! Lazy servant!" Rin shouted as she poked the sleeping Ragna.

"Uh... What do you want?" Ragna mumbled as he half-opened his eyes.

Rin looked down her nose at him. "You slept in until three in the afternoon! Luvia and I had to cook by ourselves."

"It can't be that bad..." Ragna said, running his fingers through his hair as he sat up.

"Hmph! We overcooked almost everything!"

Ragna sighed. "That's not my problem. Besides, you'll have to learn to cook for yourself eventually."

Rin's anger seemed to increase further, but was suddenly replaced by concern. "Ragna, you've been acting awfully strange. Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Ragna began to raise his voice. "Just leave me alone!"

"R-Ragna... you-"

The Grim Reaper shot up from his bed, his face coming within an inch of Rin's. "GET OUT!"

The girl yelped and staggered backwards. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but her expression was one of anger. "Damn servant... I-I wish I'd never summoned you in the first place!"

"Then don't bother me again. Just tell me when we're going after Sol so I can get the hell out of this world already," Ragna sneered, with every word emphasizing his disgust.

"Fine then! I can't wait to get rid of you!" Rin yelled as she stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut.

The servant reclined on his bed again, alone with his thoughts.

_I had to do that. We were getting too close. I can't allow her to suffer like everyone I've cared about._

* * *

_The nerve! Talking back to his master like that! Not even bothering to get up and help! We do everything while he just lazes around in that room._

Rin threw the book across the study.

Smack.

The impact of the book on the wall resounded in the silence of the room. But in Rin's mind, a storm raged. She pulled open another book, almost tearing the pages with the forceful action. The magus skimmed it for a moment, then slid it off the table at high speed.

Smack.

_This one is useless too! None of these books explain the magecraft that can be used to force the Grail to appear!_

She pulled another book, then tossed it almost immediately.

Smack.

_Damn Einzbern! All of this is about how their vessels interface with it! Nothing about psycho priests!_

Rin stood up, breathing heavily from the frustration.

_Calm down... Just think... He mentioned the Caren being helpful, so he'd be using some sort of Church equipment._

Rin walked over to the bookshelf and took one of the Tohsaka family's older texts - one concerning her ancestor's interactions with the Holy Church.

* * *

Luvia and Ilya approached the mansion, carrying bags of groceries.

Ilya beamed, satisfied with their shopping trip. "That was fun! Wasn't it, Luvia?"

The older girl gave a more subdued smile and a tired sigh. "Yeah, I hope we'll be able to go shopping again after... after this is all done."

Ilya skipped ahead happily. "I hope so too!"

The duo entered.

"We're home!" the little girl called out.

There was no reply.

"Ilya, can you please put these away?" Luvia requested.

The white-haired girl agreed with a smile.

With Ilya occupied, Luvia entered the study.

"Hey, Rin. How's the research coming along?"

Rin looked up from her work. "Better than expected, this book actually provides some insight into what the Church uses. I may even be able to find something useful here. But..."

"But... what?" Luvia asked.

"There's something off about Ragna. He got angry when I went to wake him up," Rin said, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.

Luvia struggled to suppress a chuckle. "Anyone can be cranky when waking up. I'm sure you aren't the nicest morning person."

Rin gave Luvia a worried look, showing that she was dead serious. "This was different. He wasn't just a bit irritated... it was actual anger. Almost like he hates me all of a sudden."

Luvia's eyes widened with shock. "Oh shit. I know what's happening. Why must this come up now of all times?"

"W-what is it?" Rin asked, her voice became shaky as fear began to loom at the back of her consciousness. A hundred horrible scenarios started to play out in her mind's eye.

"I should've seen it earlier - the martyr thing. He's pushing you away," Luvia explained grimly.

Rin tried to hold back a tear. "But... we were so happy together until today..."

"Exactly. He thinks that if he gets too close to you, it'll be harder to do what he has to."

"What he has to?" Rin mused. "Fighting Sol... the Azure Grimoire..."

Luvia gritted her teeth. "Damn it. That idiot must think that cutting ties will make it hurt less for both of you." She slammed a fist down on the desk. "But in the end it doesn't make things any better. He'll just regret not sharing his true feelings."

Rin's heart raced. She began to panic.

"You have to confront him about this! Quick!" Luvia urged.

Steeling herself, the twintailed magus climbed the stairs and stood at the door to Ragna's room. She was about to knock when it suddenly opened.

"You." Ragna gave her a dispassionate stare.

"Ragna, I-"

The servant just pushed past her, ignoring her words. He unwaveringly marched down the stairs.

Rin jumped over the railing, getting in his way again.

"Move," Ragna commanded.

"N-no... I-I won't... I won't let you do this!" Rin screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks.

The red and green eyes of the servant sent a chill down her spine. It was the first time Rin saw him acting this detached.

The Grim Reaper went to walk around the obstruction, but she moved to block his path again.

Rin raised her right hand, showing the Command Seals. "I'll do it... if I have to. Please, don't force me to..."

He stepped forward.

"I invoke the power of the Command Spell-"

Rin's chant turned into a shriek as the crimson flame erupted from the Seal. She fell to her knees in front of the man in red.

"As I thought. You still can't handle the power of the Azure. Don't try it again or I'll have to hurt you for real," the Grim Reaper explained coldly.

The girl placed her hands on the floor to support herself as she wept. Her servant made his way around her and left the house. Luvia stared from the doorway to the study and Ilya did so from behind the half-open door to the kitchen, completely paralyzed by the shock of what had just happened.

* * *

The cavern under the Ryuudou Temple was illuminated by a sickening red-violet light. However, even that wasn't enough to reveal the entirety of it, such was the sheer size of it.

At the center, Shirou Kotomine was watching gleefully as the magic circle he had set up forced its control upon the dormant Justica von Einzbern - the core of the Great Grail. Sol Badguy stood nearby, observing his master's handiwork.

A voice echoed through the massive underground space. "Flame of Corruption! I am your opponent!"

Ragna emerged from the darkness of the entrance, sword in hand. His boots crunched on the rocky floor of the cavern, the Grim Reaper's determination was evident with each unyielding step.

The previous Saber casually strode forward, stopping in front of the current one.

"Haha! You've come alone. How very heroic," the evil servant commented.

"I don't need any help to defeat you, Badguy," Ragna said calmly.

The brown-haired man narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

His white-haired counterpart smiled. "Let me show you my true power..."

Ragna held up his artificial hand. The shell on the back of it opened.

"Restriction 666 released. Dimensional interruption imaginary number formed! Azure Grimoire, activate!"

Crimson light flickered from the back of Ragna's hand for a moment before suddenly stopping.

"What... what went wrong?" Ragna asked himself, his eyes wide in horror as he saw his ultimate power fail him.

"Ahahahaha!" Sol cackled. "It seems that your Grimoire isn't working. Too bad my powers still do... Dragon Install!"

Sol spread his arms, releasing a burst of flame. After the fire faded, it appeared that his entire body emitted a slight red glow.

Ragna's expression of dread disappeared, replaced by his signature smirk. He raised the Blood Scythe to his side with the blade pointing behind him. "Tch. Looks like I'm gonna have to kill you the hard way then."

The grip extended as he charged forward, converting the weapon into scythe mode mid-swing.

The sudden increase in the weapon's reach caught Sol off-guard, forcing him to block the blow, gripping his sword in both hands.

The Grim Reaper's scythe bounced off the blade. The white-haired servant spun around, launching an even stronger swing.

Sol knew what was coming and ducked easily. He closed the distance between them, making the scythe's reach work against Ragna.

Seeing what was about to happen, Ragna continued his spin, collapsing the weapon back into sword mode and flipping the blade for a stab.

The Flame of Corruption didn't expect to be met with a sword coming at his face. His momentum meant that he had to sidestep it and keep advancing...

The boot planted in his gut disagreed. Sol grunted as he was pushed back. Ragna followed up that side kick with a jumping roundhouse kick.

Sol twisted under Ragna's incoming leg and let loose a roundhouse kick of his own, sending the airborne Ragna flying sideways.

A red blur passed Ragna. His flight was interrupted by a sword pommel to the stomach. A moment later he was hit in the jaw with a powerful kick that launched him higher into the air.

"Volcanic Viper!"

Sol flew upwards, hitting Ragna with a wide flaming slash. He then flipped in midair and sent Ragna plummeting back down with a powerful axe kick.

"How does it feel, Ragna?" Sol mocked as he landed nearby. "Ready to admit that my strength is superior?"

Ragna struggled to his feet. "Maybe you are stronger... but it's not over yet... Carnage Scissors!"

He surged forward, his initial downward slash was blocked easily, but then he suddenly stopped pushing and lowered his sword, allowing him to slip past Sol's defenses and hit him dead on with a rising slash. Dark flames erupted from the Blood Scythe, draining Sol's energy and healing Ragna with it.

"Tch. I still have a few tricks you can't copy," Ragna commented, stepping forward and locking swords with his opponent.

"Doesn't mean you're any closer to winning!" Sol shouted. "Fafnir!"

Ragna ducked at the last second, avoiding a flaming punch to the face. Unfortunately, it also compromised his stance, allowing Sol to push him back and launch another attack.

"Tyrant Rave!"

The familiar wave of fire appeared. Ragna wearily extended his hand to summon a barrier. The fire struck the magic circle that was floating in front of Ragna, bearing down on it. The Grim Reaper struggled to maintain his shield.

"Ragna! Don't give up!" a feminine voice called out from the entrance.

_Rin? She followed me here... even after what I did?_

Ragna the Bloodedge roared at the top of his lungs, pouring more mana into the barrier, pushing back the flames...

The wave of fire burnt out just as the magic circle shattered.

"Yes! You can do it, Ragna!" Rin shouted as she ran towards him. It would still take a short while to reach him due to the sheer size of the cavern.

"Is that so? Your pathetic servant was doomed from the start!" Sol's red glow brightened as he focused his energy. "Napalm Death!"

The red servant leapt forwards, a massive pillar of fire forming around him as he flew towards his opponent.

Ragna could only stare, powerless to stop the firestorm that was about to hit him.

The unstoppable force collided with the weakened servant. There was a fiery explosion as Sol's ultimate attack hit home.

Sol skidded to a halt in the charred crater than had been created. Ragna had been thrown clear of the blast, his form bounced several times along the ground before landing near Rin.

The girl sprinted over to her servant, almost stumbling as she knelt down next to him.

"R-Ragna... please... wake up..." she whimpered, gripping his arms.

The servant didn't stir. Tears began to fall on the red jacket.

Rin buried her face in his shoulder, weeping loudly. "Don't leave me. P-please, Ragna... I don't want you to die!"

She felt him moving. Rin instantly repositioned herself, moving her face above his. She looked into his half-open eyes.

"Rin..." he murmured, raising a hand to her face. "I l-"

At that moment, Ragna's body dissolved into dark purple ashes. His fingers didn't reach her cheek - she only felt the ashes brushing past her as they scattered and disappeared completely.

Rin collapsed to the ground, hugging her arms and sobbing. "W-why? Ragna..."

Shirou walked over to his servant. "Well done, Sol. Now we cannot be defeated."

The girl didn't react to them at all. Rin Tohsaka didn't care about the Grail War or even saving the world now. She just wanted one thing...

_Ragna._

BAD END


	16. Teach Me! Wallachia Sensei!

Teach Me! Wallachia-Sensei!

The lone vampire walked through the field of white roses in the middle of the courtyard. His eyes were closed, but he was still fully aware of his surroundings.

He turned to face the audience with a wave of his cape.

"Welcome to my... no wait, this place isn't mine. Haha!" He put his hand on the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Anyway. I managed to get Castle Alucard for my personal use right now. Don't ask about the favors I had to do. Now, we can party!" the vampire explained gleefully.

Ragna entered the courtyard. "How the hell did I get here?"

Wallachia 'looked' over to him. "Oh, that's right... I had to train this guy to be pro."

"Ok, next question: who the hell are you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zepia Eltnam Oberon! Better known as the Dead Apostle Ancestor: Night of Wallachia!"

Ragna looked even more confused now. "Dead? Oberon? Night?"

The blonde vampire pulled a disco ball out of his cape. "And party!"

"Will somebody please explain what's going on?" Ragna yelled.

"I'm here to teach you how to be pro," Wallachia said, making it seem like it was an obvious answer.

"Hey! I'm pretty pro already!" the Grim Reaper barked.

Wallachia threw away the disco ball and stood up straight, trying to look professional. "Maybe so... but you'll need my help if you wanna avoid the bad end."

"What the hell? I'm getting a bad end?" Ragna asked, somewhat shocked.

"Of course not! Have a drink!" Wallachia said, producing several cans of coffee from his cape and holding them up.

Ragna took one and opened it, taking a quick sip.

"You have chosen Tsundere!" Wallachia exclaimed.

"I have?"

"Yes! Look at the can!"

Ragna inspected the can he was holding. An orange-haired girl in a skin-tight red outfit was drawn on the side.

"The Tsundere personality type is very hard to work with. A girl can be happy and caring one moment, but suddenly become angered by the slightest thing," Wallachia explained.

Ragna took another sip and thought for a moment. "Yeah, Rin is like that sometimes."

"Exactly!" Wallachia said, pleased with this slight progress. "Now your best bet is to keep her in the happy loving mode. It'll ensure that she'll give you the mana you need to use the Azure Grimoire."

"But she already supplies me with mana. I'd say that you lost me there, but that happened a while back," Ragna commented. The double meaning had flown completely over his head.

The vampire's happiness disappeared. He opened his creepy blood pool eyes and cracked his psychotic grin. "DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS? THE FATE OF THE MULTIVERSE DEPENDS ON YOUR ROMANCE!"

Ragna jumped back, scared out of his wits by the sudden outburst. "R-really?" he asked, starting to calm down. "The future can only be saved if I hook up with Rin?"

"Yes." Wallachia composed himself. "Now think, what kind of romantic things can you do to woo her?"

Ragna scratched his head. "Well... I'm pretty good at cooking. I guess I could make her breakfast in bed or something."

"Very good! Now get going!"

Ragna the Bloodedge suddenly disappeared in a cloud of rose petals.

The Night of Wallachia turned to the audience again, pulling a steamroller from his cape and throwing it behind him effortlessly. "Now then, let's party!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Scared ya! Didn't I?

As you can see, embracing his status as a servant at this point wasn't exactly the best idea for Ragna. But we can't fault the poor, traumatized man for making a bad choice every once in a while. XD

I hope you enjoyed this interlude. Tune in next time as the _real _endgame begins!

Now it looks like the crazy guy has something else to say...

"Why steamrollers, you ask?" Wallachia did a flourish with his cape. "Because mixing vampires with alcohol and steamrollers results in hilarity!"

Oh, great. -_-


	17. Fateful Night : Ecstasy and Agony

**Fateful Night** - Ecstasy and Agony

_Well that was the strangest dream I've ever had._

Ragna opened his eyes. The morning sun was lighting up the room through a gap in the curtains.

_I guess I should get up and make breakfast._

The servant moved to get out of bed, then he paused for a moment.

_I can't be bothered getting up... No, I don't need any more damn sleep. I'm gonna make some breakfast. At least Rin will appreciate this._

He sprang up from the bed in one rapid motion and went to the kitchen.

* * *

Ragna had always enjoyed cooking. In a way, it was a calming activity for him. Up until the past few weeks, he hadn't cooked meals that were intended for other people. There was something rewarding about cooking for someone else. Although he did get annoyed when every attempt to get breakfast in bed done while Rin was still in bed seemed to fail.

"Ragna!"

"Wha-" He turned around just in time to see Rin coming straight at him. The young man didn't have time to react as the girl jumped at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey, what's going on?" the servant asked, confused by the sudden closeness.

Rin didn't answer. She just hugged him tighter and buried her face in his chest. Ragna realized that she was crying and returned the hug.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up, her teary eyes meeting his. "I-I thought I lost you."

He held her gaze, starting to catch on. "Uhhh... Was it a bad dream?"

"Y-yeah. When I woke up, it still seemed so real," Rin whimpered.

Ragna moved one hand up to stroke her hair. "Don't worry, Rin. I'm not going to leave you, I promise."

He immediately regretted making that promise, realizing that his summoning was most likely not permanent. Still, Rin needed to hear something, and those words seemed to make her feel better.

"Good morning!" Luvia exclaimed as she waltzed into the kitchen. It took a moment for her to realize that Ragna and Rin were in some sort of embrace. The blonde magus blushed and looked away. "Oh! Sorry to interrupt."

Rin pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Don't worry, you didn't interrupt anything."

"Uhhh... yeah," Ragna said, blushing slightly. "Anyway, breakfast is almost ready."

With the plan for breakfast in bed ruined, the trio decided to eat together. Ilya woke up soon enough and joined them.

"I've been thinking," Rin said during the meal. "The four of us are about to do something very dangerous."

"What are you getting at, Rin?" Luvia asked.

Rin put down her chopsticks, thinking about the best way to tell everyone about her idea. "I want all of us to have one day of doing something normal. A day that we can look back on. That way we'll always have fond memories of each other."

"That sounds fun, but you have to remember that we have a time limit," Ragna pointed out.

The girl turned to him. "Don't worry about that. I've made a breakthrough, so we can relax for one day."

"Rin, why are you getting so emotional all of a sudden?" Luvia asked.

"I... I was thinking about everyone who died for the Grail War. Even though they were enemies, they still had feelings and dreams of their own. I don't want us to just be magi and servants, I want us to be people - to feel like real people. Even if it's only for a short time," Rin explained with a sad smile.

Ragna put a hand on her shoulder. "If it's that important to you, I'm in."

"Me too! We can all go shopping!" Ilya chimed in, beaming with excitement.

Luvia looked down, remembering her own loss. Then she looked back to Rin. "You have a good point, Rin. Let's make this day a good one."

* * *

The shopping center in the business district was truly gigantic. Like most buildings in Shinto, it was sleek and mainly white and grey. The roof was lined with skylights that made it almost as bright inside as it was outside. The variety of shops within it was impressive, with food, fashion and furniture being just a few of the categories of things on sale.

The three girls talked and laughed amongst themselves. Ragna interjected from time to time, but feminine clothing was not a topic he knew well. The servant's stride became more and more awkward as he was relegated to holding the bags and boxes that held the girls' purchases.

The girls giggled at his attempts to balance the various items and decided that he deserved something too. A quick visit to a men's clothing store added a classy suit to his load.

Rin's classmate, Ayako, joined them for a while, after making her usual assumptions about Ragna, and introducing herself to the two other girls, she offered to take a picture.

After several botched attempts, a good one was taken. The four of them were standing in front of the fountain near the food court. Ragna was at the back with a confident smirk. Rin was beside him, elegantly preening her hair. Luvia stood side-on to the camera with her arms folded and flashed a sideways glance. Ilya was in the middle, grinning and showing a "V" sign.

Eventually, Ayako went her own way and the group started buying supplies for the dinner they had planned. Ragna had what could be described as a fanboy moment when Rin decided that the main course would be wagyu beef. They made sure to get the highest quality ingredients - this was going to be a very good meal.

When they arrived home, Ragna immediately retreated into the kitchen to prepare his masterpiece. The girls made sure that the dining room was clean and set up, then went to put on their new dresses.

Rin wore a vibrant rose-red dress. It was supported by thin halterneck straps attached to a choker, accentuating her décolletage and leaving her back exposed. The dress hugged her curves, stopping at her ankles at the back. The front of the skirt was cut out almost midway up her thighs, showing off her long stocking-clad legs with matching high heels.

Luvia's dress was a night-blue gown with frills decorating the edges. It was a strapless design, cut to show an enticing amount of cleavage. Long, flared sleeves started below the shoulders. The corseted bodice was decorated with lace running down the front and further slimmed her figure. The billowy skirt almost reached the floor and undulated with each step she took.

Ilya had chosen a more modest purple and white dress. It had a much higher neckline and completely enclosed her shoulders and arms in puffy sleeves. The front was decorated with several small gemstones set into the fabric. Her skirt was long and frilly, but stayed a short distance above the floor, allowing greater mobility.

The three elegantly dressed girls entered the dining room to find an amazing dinner waiting for them. A minute later, the man responsible for it entered.

Ragna looked very sophisticated in his new suit. He wore a pinstriped onyx jacket with matching pants, black leather shoes, a carmine-red dress shirt and a black necktie with thin silver stripes. Surprisingly, his spiked white hair didn't detract from the refined look, and actually added a modern feel to it.

The sharply dressed gentleman helped each of the ladies get seated before sitting down himself. Everyone ate the main course almost silently, savoring the expertly prepared wagyu. Rin saw fit to open one of her father's old wine bottles, pouring a glass for everyone (including Ilya, who, despite appearances, is probably the oldest out of the three women)

"To memories!" they toasted.

After dessert was served, everyone became more talkative. Chatting and laughing like earlier in the shopping center. Even after they were done eating, they continued talking for over an hour before calling it a night. Usually, Ragna was pretty dedicated to cleaning up, but the thought of the coming days made him leave the dishes as they were.

* * *

Rin waited at the door of her room. As Ragna walked past, she grabbed his sleeve and leaned in close. "Ragna, can we talk?" she whispered.

The servant nodded and she beckoned for him to enter her room. As soon as the door had closed, she hugged him tightly and started sobbing into his chest.

Ragna held her close, comfortingly stroking her hair like he did before.

Eventually, she looked up at him. "Ragna, I... After that nightmare... I'm just so scared of losing you. I can't even think about living without you now."

"I'm not going anywhere, Rin. I..." The servant paused, unsure about what to say next. "I don't... I can't stand to be apart from you either."

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. R-Ragna... I-I love you," Rin confessed, her gaze longing yet mournful at the same time.

Ragna smiled, brushing a finger along Rin's cheek and wiping away the tears. "I love you too, Rin. All I want right now is to be with you, to laugh with you, to comfort you when you cry, even to snidely respond to your anger. I love every side of you, and every last thing about you."

"Thank you, Ragna," Rin whispered. She placed her arms around Ragna's neck and pulled herself up, bringing her face close to his. They stayed there for a moment, her aqua eyes locked with his red and green ones.

Ragna closed his eyes, he felt Rin's soft lips against his own. She was still trembling from her earlier crying. He breathed in deeply, sensing her sweet perfume.

Their kiss deepened. Rin let out a slight moan as she felt Ragna's tongue against hers. She shivered as his hands traced her spine.

Ragna found the clasp of the choker that held up her dress and unhooked it with a deft movement of his fingers. The dress moved down a little, but was supported by Rin's body being pressed against Ragna's.

Rin took Ragna's tie and pulled him along by it, guiding him over to her bed without breaking the kiss. They remained standing as her slender fingers undid the buttons of his shirt.

As Ragna removed his jacket and shirt, Rin slipped out of her dress. The young man was mesmerized by her graceful body. His eyes followed the curves, taking in every last detail.

He sat down on the bed, allowing her to straddle him. His lips moved down her neck. She lightly dragged her fingernails across his back. Rin let out a gasp as Ragna's teeth brushed against her collarbone.

"We should keep it down," Ragna joked.

Rin gave a naughty smile. "Don't worry about that. Das Schließen. Vogelkäfig, Echo."

Ragna snickered as he lay back, pulling her down with him.

"Ragna, I've... never done this before," Rin whimpered.

"Just relax, I'll be gentle," Ragna said reassuringly.

Rin rested her entire weight on him, leaning down into a passionate kiss. She could feel Ragna's breath mixing with her own, his hands moving on her body. She shuddered, gripping him tighter... intensifying the kiss... wanting more...

* * *

"Rag... na..." Rin panted. The pain had gone a while back, replaced by pleasure.

"Ahh... Rin..." Ragna moaned as he lay under her.

Rin arched her back as they both reached a climax. In that one moment of ecstasy, their Magic Circuits connected. The sudden rush of mana caused agony to surge through their bodies, but it also intensified their already powerful sensations of pleasure.

The girl collapsed onto him. They were both breathing heavily. Ragna held Rin close, allowing her to rest her head on his chest.

Rin smiled contentedly. "Thank you, Ragna. This was the perfect end to a perfect day."

"It was," Ragna breathed. "You showed me the best things about living in this world. I wish we could stay like this forever."

Their thoughts turned to melancholy. Each was reminded about the possibility of losing the other soon.

Ragna ran his fingers through Rin's hair. "Even if something does happen, I'll never forget you, Rin. I love you so much."

Rin gave a smile that seemed sad at first, but then became hopeful. She kissed him gently before settling on his chest again. "Goodnight, Ragna."

"Sweet dreams."

They dreamt of a perfect world that they could enjoy together.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! If you're sad and lonely like me, I hope this chapter cheered you up a bit. ^_^

As with many Nasu stories, mana transfer is very important! Tune in next time to see the awesome results!


	18. Grimoire Activated : Black Onslaught

**Grimoire Activated** - Black Onslaught

Ragna woke up gradually, feeling content and comfortable. Rin was still snuggled up against him. He could feel her slow breaths on his chest. The young man smiled at the sight of his lover sleeping so peacefully.

He caressed her face with his cybernetic right hand. Ever since he got the arm, the tactile information it provided had felt unnatural, almost like touching things through a glove. Now, for the first time ever, it felt right. Rin's smooth skin - an unmistakeable sensation, and just as real as feeling it with his organic hand, or his lips.

"Ragna, good morning," Rin said as she opened her eyes slowly.

"Sleep well?" Ragna asked.

"Yes, thanks to you." Their embrace tightened, each one wanted to hold the other even closer. The couple just lay there, enjoying their intimacy for a while.

At noon, they finally got up. Ragna materialized his standard outfit, then came up behind the dressing Rin. He brushed his lips on her shoulder, right next to the strap of the bra that she had just put on.

Ragna took the black pleated skirt that was hanging from a chair and fastened it at her waist. Next came the red long-sleeved shirt. Rin slipped her arms into the sleeves while Ragna pulled it down on her, gliding his hands down her hips as he let go of the fabric.

"Here, sit down and relax." Ragna gave a wily smile as he guided Rin to the bed. She sat back on it and made herself comfortable.

"R-Ragna... what are you doing?" the girl stammered. Her face flushed bright red as she looked down at her servant. She was simultaneously flustered and enthralled by the sight before her.

Ragna was kneeling in front of her, holding her leg reverently with both hands. He slid the black stocking up to her thigh, kissing the flawless skin as he went. Rin trembled, the process of having her stockings put on by her servant was amazingly sensual - each brush of his fingers and lips was recorded perfectly by her mind. Ragna repeated the process with the other leg, savoring each kiss he planted as he covered more and more of her.

By the time Ragna had finished, Rin was ready to explode from the sheer amount of tension in her body. As the servant started to stand up, she grabbed him by the lapels of his red jacket and kissed him hungrily. She would make him pay for teasing her like that. Ragna returned the kiss, pleased with the results of his little game.

Servant Saber felt a sudden pain in his lip. The master moved back slowly, her teeth pulling Ragna's lip for a moment as she broke the kiss.

At that moment, Luvia swung open the door and waltzed in.

"Hey, will you guys get up already? We still have to-"

She stopped mid-sentence as her mind processed the image in front of her. The red-clad pair were holding each other, their faces mere millimeters apart.

"Kyaa! Sorry to interrupt!" she shrieked.

"H-hey! Stop invading our privacy!" Rin yelled. At this point, everyone in the room was blushing from the embarrassment.

Luvia folded her arms and looked down her nose at the couple. "I thought I told you two to work out your romantic issues after we save the world! You can't even keep your hands off each other!"

Rin broke her contact with Ragna and began to let out her rage. "Our personal stuff is our own business. You're the one who should knock before barging into people's rooms!"

"Cool it! Both of you! We can't waste time arguing about whose fault this is when we have to get ready to kick ass!" Ragna shouted, immediately silencing the quarrelling girls.

"That's right, Ragna," Luvia said. "Rin, you have yet to tell us about this new plan you made."

* * *

The quartet had gathered in Rin's living room. Rin explained her plan to the others and it was agreed that it was the best one so far.

"So, all that remains is working out when to strike," Luvia said.

"Both our energies peak after midnight, so we'll attack then. We will definitely have to fight, so it's best to arrive just in time to reach our full power," Rin explained.

Ilya frowned. "Hey! What about my power?"

"You're not specialized for direct combat. Just stay back until we've dealt with the enemy and help us figure out how to neutralize the Grail," Luvia said.

The little girl pouted for a moment, but accepted the decision.

"Alright, any other objections?" Ragna asked.

Everyone remained silent.

* * *

The ruined Ryuudou Temple stood quietly in the still night. Footsteps echoed in the humungous cavern below it. The Great Grail in the center of it glowed with an unnatural red-violet light. Shirou was kneeling near the magic circle that he had constructed to force-summon the mighty being inside the Grail.

"Hey, we have a problem," Sol said as he walked up behind his master.

"What is it, Sol?" Shirou asked without turning around.

"They've arrived at the temple. Looks like they caught on to your little trick," Sol explained.

"There is still enough time that delaying them would be impractical. Damn it! DAMN IT!" Shirou pounded the ground with his fist. "Get back out there, do whatever it takes to slow them down!"

"Geez, I'm going already!" the servant shouted as he turned to leave.

"You have to win." Shirou raised his hand. "By the power of the Command Spell, fight at your full power!"

* * *

The team of Rin, Ragna, Luvia and Ilya walked past the ruins of the temple, heading towards the entrance to the cavern.

"I can sense it," Ilya said. "The Grail. Shirou is trying to activate it using some kind of artifact, just like Rin suspected."

Luvia smirked. "Well then, looks like we'll just have to shut it down."

"Not so fast. You'll have to go through me first." Sol emerged from the shadows, his blade held horizontally in front of him.

Ragna looked over at Rin. "Go on ahead, I'll handle this bastard."

The three girls gave Sol a wide berth as they went around him. The servant didn't seem to care about the magi.

"Hah! You think you can handle me! I haven't even shown you my true power!" Sol screamed maniacally.

"Is that so?" Ragna smirked. "Bring it on, you son of a bitch!"

"Gear powers, activate! EX Dragon Install!" A column of flame erupted from Sol. It faded a few seconds later, revealing that the servant now had flaming wings. His sword was completely covered in fire and now matched Ragna's in size. His entire body gave off a slight red glow.

"Tch. That's it? Let me show you how it's really done!" Ragna raised his hand, the covering on the back of it opened. "Restriction 666 released. Dimensional interruption imaginary number formed!"

The crimson glow erupted from Ragna's hand. An elaborate magical crest appeared in the air in front of him.

"Azure Grimoire, activate!"

The crest flashed bright red before fading. Ragna's entire body was surrounded by a black and purple aura. A single dark wing formed on his back.

Sol charged at his opponent, bringing his flaming sword downwards in a wide arc. A column of flame exploded upwards and downwards, breaching the ceiling of the cavern.

As the fire dissipated, Sol saw that Ragna was still standing there. His barrier had changed, instead of the usual blue-green magic circle, he used a purple one with the emblem of the Azure Grimoire in the middle. The magic shield had effortlessly stopped the powerful attack.

Sol kept pushing on the barrier with his sword, trying to force his way through. Ragna extended his wing and flew straight up, causing the fiery servant to stumble forward. He recovered in an instant and took to the air as well.

"Belial Edge!"

The Grim Reaper flew downwards, leading with his sword. The Flame of Corruption kept moving upwards, pushing back the strike.

Ragna backflipped and seemed to push off nothing to come at Sol again, launching a vertical slash. Sol flew out of the way and spun around, hoping to swipe at Ragna with the flaming wings.

The dark servant blocked the wing with his artificial hand, grabbing onto it and landing a roundhouse kick that sent Sol flying away from him.

Sol realized that an aerial battle wasn't as favorable as he expected. Spotting Einzbern Castle, he flew straight towards it. Ragna gave chase, expecting a trap.

The two red servants crashed through the windows and skidded along the chequered floor. The lobby was familiar to Ragna - a luxurious mansion room that was bathed in golden light by the warm-hued lamps set on the walls and the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Stairs on one end of the room led to the second floor.

They stood tall and faced each other. Their wings dissipated to save energy.

"Impressive, Grim Reaper. Your dark powers are so vast, why do you not give in to the urge to destroy?" Sol taunted while casually sparking flames from his fingertips.

"I don't have any urge to destroy now, I only fight to stop you and your master!" Ragna replied, straightening his jacket.

"That's a shame. I know the feelings you once felt. The thrill, the hatred, the bloodlust. Do you not miss this ecstasy?" Sol asked, his voice almost a quaky roar.

"Tch." Ragna ran his fingers through his spiked hair. "You'll never be able to understand what drives me now. I don't kill for fun or revenge." He looked straight into his opponent's eyes. "I kill because I want this world to remain a beautiful place! I do what I have to so that the suffering brought on by the Grail War can end at last!"

"Hahaha!" Sol threw his head back and looked down his nose at Ragna. "Those goals are pathetic! You can't hope to defeat me, let alone stopping the power of the Grail!"

"I see it now. You fight to cause pain and despair. I have grown beyond that. What I fight for is not the Grail... but a prize truly worthy of a war like this!" Ragna shouted, his eyes burning with passion.

Sol cracked a maniacal grin. "So then, claim it already! Tyrant Rave!"

"Darkness consume you!"

The two Sabers simultaneously launched immense attacks. Ragna's right hand turned into a claw of darkness just as Sol's wave of fire came forth from his outstretched fist.

Ragna reached out with his claw, _catching_ the inferno that was coming straight towards him. The servant gritted his teeth, trying to power through the flames. Red tendrils erupted around him, eroding the fire and continuing to their target.

Sol rolled to the side, barely avoiding the storm of crimson energy. He hopped up onto the handrail of the stairway and ran up to the second floor. Ragna followed on the opposite handrail.

As Sol reached the top of the stairs, he leapt from the handrail and swung at Ragna's legs.

The Grim Reaper flipped over the blade and bounded off the wall that was a few meters beyond the stairs, he came back towards Sol and connected with a spinning kick that sent the Flame of Corruption plummeting to the bottom of the stairs.

Ragna came down the stairs with one big jump, planting his sword into the ground where Sol was less than a second ago.

"Dead Spike!"

The Blood Scythe tore straight through the floor, unleashing a wave of darkness shaped like the maw of a giant beast. Sol was forced to jump backwards, staying out of range until the darkness dissipated.

This allowed Ragna to go on the offensive, charging at Sol and letting loose several wide slashes.

Sol knew that blocking strong strikes like those directly was a bad idea. Instead he deflected each one, grinding his blade against Ragna's while forcing it away just enough to avoid getting hit. This meant that the momentum of Ragna's attacks remained and he utterly shredded the floor with several errant swings.

The door to the outside pressed against Sol's back. He couldn't retreat any more. Instead he ducked, causing a horizontal slash from Ragna to cut through the door. It exploded into shards of wood, allowing Sol to roll backwards and jump onto the side of the building. Ragna spun around as he stepped outside and sprinted up the wall after Sol.

The two servants ran side by side, clashing repeatedly until they reached the roof. They ran up the slanted surface and leapt off, soaring over the huge castle and landing in a magnificent courtyard.

It was a large square space with a stone tile floor and four topiary squares. A large stone circle outlined in red had cut out the corners of the greenery that faced the middle. The foliage and stone almost seemed to glow in the moonlight, adding a dreamlike quality to the courtyard.

"Good! Good! Fight harder, Ragna! Use those dark powers!" Sol taunted.

"Let's finish this here, you bastard," Ragna said coldly. He flipped his blade from reverse grip to standard and pointed the weapon at his opponent.

Sol charged at Ragna, his flaming sword held behind him as he ran. As the fiery servant approached, the Grim Reaper turned around while stepping forwards and had almost finished his spin when the Flame of Corruption was upon him.

What Sol didn't expect, was that Ragna didn't intend to strike with his outstretched sword. While he was preoccupied with striking before Ragna completed his turn, the white-haired servant had extended his free right hand.

The glowing red back of Ragna's hand collided with Sol's face, stopping his forward momentum. Before he was knocked off his feet, Sol pushed off the ground, turning his fall into a backflip.

Sol brought his sword up as he flipped. Ragna completed his turn just in time to knock it away with his own blade. The fiery servant landed in a crouch, planting his sword in the ground.

"Gun Flame!"

Fire snaked along the floor towards Ragna. He leapt into the air and shot downwards at Sol.

"Belial Edge!"

The tip of the Blood Scythe was stopped by the blade of Fireseal. Sol rolled backwards and kicked Ragna off of him, sending the enemy servant flying behind him.

Sol spun around as he got to his feet and went on the offensive. Ragna oriented himself to face the ground and slid along it, doing a one-handed handstand to slow himself. Sol's slash barely missed his jacket as he managed to slip out of range and land properly.

Ragna sprang up instantly and launched himself at Sol. Suddenly, a kick connected with his chest.

The Grim Reaper was sent tumbling upwards. A sword pommel knocked him further into the sky.

"Volcanic Viper!"

The flaming sword landed a direct hit, scorching Ragna and continuing his ascent.

Sol came up alongside him and kicked him again. Ragna crashed into the stone wall of the courtyard and bounced off into another pommel strike.

Ragna was powerless to stop the continuous attacks. The repeated slashes, kicks and pommel hits quickly left Ragna beaten and bloody. The wall was covered with impressions from his impacts. Sol could keep this up for as long as he wanted. The loop was extremely difficult to escape once set up.

_If this goes on for much longer, I'm done for. I have to end this before he can do any more damage._

Thinking quickly, Ragna used his servant power to re-orient gravity in order to 'stick' to the wall.

"Good idea, too bad I can kick you while you're down." Sol's boots thudded next to Ragna's head. He felt himself being lifted off the wall, then a punch to his gut sent him plummeting to the ground.

"This is the end! Die!" Sol screamed as he fell after him, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

Ragna jumped off thin air. "Like hell it is! Inferno Divider!" He swung the Blood Scythe upwards, trailing dark energy as he passed Sol.

Sol landed hard, cracking the floor under him. Ragna kicked off the wall and touched down on the other side of the Courtyard.

"Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" Sol shouted as he clutched a bleeding gash on his chest. Ragna didn't look much better after the beating, but the energy he had just drained from Sol gave him the boost he needed to get back into the fight.

Streaks of red energy flew upwards around Sol. He had accumulated so much mana that some of it was escaping now. Ragna, on the other hand, was concentrating his mana inside him, strengthening his dark aura. He still felt his connection to Rin giving him power.

A breeze blew through the courtyard, shaking the plants as well as the spiked hair of both servants. Ragna's coat 'tails' waved around as well before settling as the wind died down, leaving the entire place completely silent.

The two servants walked slowly toward each other, both swordsmen stepping up to a final duel. They picked up speed as they went, first a jog, then a run and finally an all-out charge.

"Napalm Death!"

Sol flew forward as flames surrounded him, making him look like a burning comet.

"Black Onslaught!"

The crest of the Azure Grimoire appeared behind Ragna for a moment. His blade sliced through the flames, parting them as it went.

Both servants stopped instantaneously. Sol stood in front of Ragna for a moment. The flames surrounding his sword faded and he dropped it.

The Blood Scythe unfolded into its scythe mode.

"Black Zagam!"

A giant crimson energy blade formed opposite the scythe's normal one.

Slash. Slash. Slash.

Each hit caused darkness to explode from Sol's body, draining his energy.

Slash. Slash. Slash.

"Nightmare Rage!"

The Blood Scythe merged into Ragna, turning his arm into a dark wing that caused Sol's energy to pour into it.

"Destruction!"

With all of Sol's life absorbed, the Grim Reaper plunged his wing into the Flame of Corruption.

Sol Badguy disintegrated into ash. The dark wing faded, leaving Ragna holding his sword mode Blood Scythe.

Ragna turned around with a flourish as the ash blew away. He flashed the single black and red wing on his back for a second before deactivating the Azure Grimoire.

"That's the end of you, Badguy. Looks like you truly were hollow." Ragna smirked as he walked to the door that led into the castle. "Tch. I'm the last one... the winner of the Holy Grail War."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If I get at least some blush reactions from the first scene, and a few "that was badass" reactions from the fight, I'll be very pleased. ^^

Ragna and Rin are now the official winners of the Grail War, but the threat of Shirou Kotomine remains! Tune in next time to see whether they can stop his plans from coming to fruition!


	19. My Greatest Wish : Heaven's Fall

**My Greatest Wish **/ Heaven's Fall

Shirou watched gleefully as the Grail edged closer to fulfilling its true purpose.

The Holy Grail had now taken a more solid form - a giant pillar made from black and violet tendrils. It pulsated with a red glow that reflected in Shirou's pupils. His gaze followed it to it's peak, where a humanoid being was floating.

The Angel of Destruction hung in the air, cocooned in his butterfly-like wings.

"Soon, Tabuu. Soon you will be unleashed upon this world." Shirou began to laugh manically.

"That won't be happening today." Rin's voice interrupted his cackle.

"Yeah, we can't let you finish this, Shero," Luvia added, clearly mispronouncing Shirou's name.

"Ha! You can't even pronounce my name, let alone defeat me!" He threw his arms up in the air. "Show me your best, you inbred mages! Trace... ON!"

Three gleaming white blades materialized in Shirou's left hand, held in the spaces between his fingers. Mirroring those, three glossy black blades formed in his right hand. The sword designs were identical for both types - a European-style longsword with a prominent crossguard.

Shirou threw the weapons at the two girls. They easily jumped sideways to avoid the blades and split up, allowing them to move to flanking positions.

The swords stuck in the rocky ground. Oddly, they didn't fade as was normal for projected weapons that were no longer useful to their wielder. Shirou let them remain as he produced another set.

Rin and Luvia fired overlapping barrages of Gandr shots. Shirou crossed his arms in front of him before throwing the swords backhanded. The blades were easily knocked out of the air by the dark bullets.

Shirou dropped to the ground, letting the swarms of Gandr shots fly over him. He pushed off the ground and projected another two handfuls of the blades. His upward momentum allowed him to throw them in high arcs.

The girls dodged these ones effortlessly. Suddenly, Shirou spun and threw out waves of them in both directions. Luvia shot them out of the air while Rin just rolled out of the way.

By this point they had moved almost a half-circle around him, meeting up between the young man and the pillar of darkness.

"Rin! Use the jewels!" Luvia shouted.

She threw out a handful of rubies. Rin did the same. The combined amount was enough to cover a circular area almost as big as the one enclosed by the thrown blades.

The gems detonated, with some exploding on the ground while others went off while still in midair. The combined fireballs completely consumed the area.

What they didn't see was Shirou's last action before the detonation. Sakuya had taught him a lot about dodging - particularly when the enemy is relying on saturating the area with projectiles. As soon as he saw the layout of the jewels, he managed to work out a spot in the spread where the fire would be mild enough to make it survivable. Then it was just a simple matter of sprinting to it and doing a twisting jump to distribute the exposure evenly over his body.

The smoke blocked all vision of Shirou. A moment later, a rapid series of alternating black and white blades flew out in random directions.

Rin gritted her teeth. "Damn it! He survived!"

"How is that even possible?" Luvia asked.

"Not sure, just don't get hit!" Rin replied.

They dashed around the sides, heading back to their starting point. As Luvia was about to reach it, something odd happened with one of the flying swords.

It changed direction.

The black sword suddenly swerved into a trio of stuck white swords, causing one of them to detonate as they collided. The blast knocked Luvia off her feet. She landed out of range of the battle, knocked unconscious by the impact.

"Luvia!" Rin screamed.

The smoke cloud finally cleared, revealing Shirou standing with almost no damage.

"Impressive, isn't it? A pair of star crossed lovers take their life - Romeo and Juliet. The swords attract each other, but when they meet only death and destruction can ensue," Shirou explained.

"Then I'll just have to make sure that the blades don't collide," Rin remarked as she adjusted her pigtails.

Shirou threw out a pair of swords with only inches between them. The blades edged closer together mid-flight and detonated in the air right in front of Rin. The girl jumped back just in time to avoid getting caught within the blast radius.

The dark magus lobbed a white blade to the side. Rin looked on, unsure of what he was planning. Moments later, he threw out two black blades at angles that were closer to the diagonal. The first black Romeo blade flew past the Juliet blade, causing it to turn back towards the battle. The second followed the circle of swords like it was orbiting it. As it came close to the white sword it caused it to turn and accelerate straight towards Rin.

She realized the true nature of the plan at the last second. As Rin turned to shoot down the white blade, Shirou charged at her.

Thinking quickly, Rin decided to go _towards_ the weapon instead of shooting it down. She twirled past it, the tip of the sword missing her chest by mere millimeters.

The Juliet blade was now free to continue flying - straight at several planted Romeo blades that were near Shirou.

Clang!

The sword flipped over in midair, knocked off course by a hastily projected clone of it. Shirou's hand gripped it as the magus-priest spun around, launching both copies at Rin.

Again Shirou tried to get in close, reaching Rin less than a second after she had blown away the two white swords.

The girl dodged an attack with Romeo and returned fire at point blank range. The Gandr shots intended for Shirou's stomach hit nothing but air. She saw a Juliet sword swinging towards her outstretched hand...

Rin struck the wrist holding the weapon using her other hand. The sword fell to the ground. She grabbed on, attempting to pull Shirou into the path of another burst.

He twisted the other way just in time, avoiding the shots and thrusting again with Romeo. Rin turned slightly to let the sword move past her and swept with her leg.

Shirou was knocked off his feet but managed to flip backwards, kicking Rin in the head.

The two magi simultaneously performed back handsprings. Rin immediately fired a Gandr barrage when she righted herself. A pair of swords came down towards her in an arc and exploded above her, forcing her to duck.

Shirou had sidestepped the dark bullets while launching those two distraction swords. This gave him a moment of breathing time. He projected another pair of weapons.

"Romeo and Juliet. Overedge!"

The blades lengthened. The crossguards turned into pairs of gleaming feathery wings. The hilts extended and formed more elaborate pommels.

Shirou raised the Overedge swords, preparing to attack...

"Huh?" was all that he could mouth as the tables suddenly turned.

Rin had shaken off the distraction and was standing in front of Shirou. Her hands were gripping his - preventing him from swinging the swords. A headbutt sent Shirou reeling backwards.

The magus did manage to get the swords in front of him just in time to deflect Rin's Gandr shots. The enhanced blades easily cut through the dark bullets.

Shirou broke into a run, slashing through Rin's shots and letting loose a wide swing at her. She ducked under it, only to be met with the second sword.

Green light flashed for a moment. Blood began to drip onto the ground in two places.

In one hand, Rin held the blade of Shirou's sword. Her other one was pressing against his leg. The beam jewel had bored a hole clean through Shirou's thigh, but Rin had to grab his sword with her bare hand to get this opportunity.

Both fighters realized that they were now at less than optimal ability. Rin jumped back and began to chant her healing spell. Shirou did the same, dissolving the Overedge swords and putting a hand on his injured leg.

The two spells finished at the same time. Both magi instantly went back on the offensive. Shirou produced six Overedge swords and threw them. The heavier blades powered through Rin's Gandr shots, forcing her to jump out of the way as they landed in a tight cluster and exploded, destroying the place she was standing in a moment ago.

"Now then, let me show you the true strength of my projection." Shirou held up his hand. All of the swords that had been strewn throughout the battlefield faded. With a wave of his hand, he created a line of Romeo blades on one side of him. A similar motion with the other hand created a matching amount of Juliet blades.

Shirou unleashed the storm of blades. As he threw them, more appeared at his sides. Rin fired at the volley, knocking the blades away. Shirou had altered his projections - as soon as each sword was hit, it dissolved, preventing it from interfering with others.

The two magi stood in the red-lit cavern. One was throwing an almost solid line of black and white blades, while the other shot streams of dark bullets from both hands. The two projectile barrages met in the middle, edging back and forth like a tug of war.

Rin gritted her teeth. She couldn't keep this up much longer. She had felt a drain on her mana since Ragna started his battle, but now it was even more severe.

_I have to end this quickly. There must be some way to interrupt his projections..._

Suddenly, Rin stopped shooting and twirled around, launching a topaz with a backhanded flick of her wrist.

The jewel discharged, unleashing a colossal wind spell that sent all the swords flying back towards Shirou. He reacted just in time, dismissing the swords before they could all collide and start a chain reaction.

"That's clever," Shirou taunted. "But now I know that you're done. You have no more tricks to stop these with!"

He projected and threw an Overedge Juliet blade. Rin stood calmly as it flew towards her. At the last second, she leaned backwards and turned to track the weapon with her eyes.

The gleaming white sword moved past her. Rin saw her own reflection in the blade. She saw the shine of the angel wing-like crossguard. She reached out and matched the sword's speed with her hand, her fingers wrapping around the creamy-white leather grip.

Rin plucked the weapon from the air and completed her spin, sending the sword back at its owner.

Shirou looked at the spectacle with wide eyes. He saw the sword coming straight for him - straight at the Romeo blade in his right hand.

Romeo and Juliet exploded, destroying Shirou's entire right arm. His face contorted with pain as he clutched the stump.

"It is done," Rin said calmly.

"No! Argh! Not yet!" Shirou screamed. He projected the white sword again in his left hand and started shuffling towards Rin. Blood poured from the wound, leaving a trail as he clumsily tried to walk.

Blast. Blast. Blast.

The first Gandr shot hit his wrist, causing him to drop his blade. The weapon dissolved before it even hit the ground. Two more shots hit him in the chest.

He kept advancing. Even with no energy left, he would still kill his opponent.

Suddenly, Rin felt her mana drain lessen significantly. With her power returning, she fired a thin beam of darkness that burned gaping hole all the way through Shirou's neck.

The magus-priest couldn't talk - his vocal chords had been severed. Yet he still mouthed the word, over and over again: "Destroy... Destroy... Destroy..."

Shirou Kotomine finally expired. His brain was dead, but he still stepped forward one last time.

"Bang."

Rin moved her extended hand, replicating the motion of recoil from firing a finger gun. The corpse in front of her collapsed into a heap on the ground.

* * *

Ragna had returned to the ruins of the temple. He felt good about his victory, and the feeling of his connection to Rin meant that she was alive. The mana flow was steady too, which meant that she wasn't currently fighting.

Without warning, crimson flame erupted from the back of his hand.

"W-what the hell is this?"

Ragna screamed out in pain and fell to his knees. The red light from the Azure Grimoire grew brighter.

_"Forgot about me already, Ragna?"_

The voice was a familiar one - Sol Badguy.

"Damn you! Get out of my head!" Ragna screamed. He tried to crawl forwards on all fours, but could barely move. It was like his muscles were no longer his own.

_"Don't dismiss me so quickly. After all, you did just absorb me. The darkness that drove me is now in you! Hahahaha!"_

The single dark wing extended itself from Ragna's back. It was larger this time - reaching up to the height of a two-storey building. Ragna's right hand turned into a wicked claw. Dark energy surged around the Grim Reaper.

_"Unleash your true destructive potential! Become the beast you were meant to be!"_

* * *

Rin checked on Luvia. The girl was fine, but still unconscious.

Suddenly, a flash of darkness penetrated the ceiling, boring a jagged hole to the surface. A figure with one massive dark wing fell through and hit the ground.

Rin ran over to where the impact had occurred. Ragna had struggled to his feet, and was clutching his right hand with his left.

"Ragna!" she called as she ran.

"Rin! No! Get away!" Ragna yelled, holding up his left hand in a "stop" gesture. Then he convulsed and fell forward.

He felt Rin's arms around him, stopping his fall. The weight was too much for her and they both sank to the ground. Rin laid him onto his back and kneeled next to him.

"Ragna! What's wrong?" she asked desperately.

"I-I can't stop it... the evil power from Sol's connection to the Grail is in me now." Ragna was breathing heavily. He couldn't hold out against the attack on his mind much longer.

"Please, don't do this. Not now... please..." Rin begged. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

Darkness began to engulf Ragna's body, starting with his arms and legs. "Looks like... I'm becoming the Black Beast. I'm sorry, Rin. I didn't want to destroy this world."

"I don't want to lose you, Ragna. I need you... I love you." Rin held Ragna's face, looking into his tormented eyes.

"I... wish I could remember love... even after I lose my mind. If nothing else, just the memory of the feelings I have for you." The darkness took Ragna's body, reaching up his neck. Rin pulled her hands away as it covered his head entirely.

The girl buried her face in her hands, weeping loudly.

_"I... wish I could remember love... even after I lose my mind."_

Ragna's last words echoed in Rin's mind.

_"Even after I lose my mind."_

_That's it! I know what to do now!_

Rin stood up and extended her hand in front of her.

"I invoke the power of the Command Spell. Ragna the Bloodedge, never forget who you are!"

The seal on the back of her hand glowed bright red as a section of it disappeared.

The wing of darkness dissolved into ash, followed by the rest of the dark energy that covered Ragna. The black ashes began to swirl like a tornado. Rin stood firmly, covering her face with her arm. There was a flash of red from Ragna's body and the ash was blown outwards, fading completely as it flew away.

Ragna looked up at Rin, smiling weakly. "I don't know what the hell you did, but it seems to have saved me. Thank you, Rin."

"How dare you scare me like that! Stupid Ragna!" Rin cried.

Ragna sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "Uh, Sorry about that..."

Rin threw herself at Ragna, embracing him and leaning toward his ear. "Y-you really had me worried there. You're such a mean servant," she whispered.

"It's okay now." Ragna petted Rin comfortingly. "I'm here for you."

"Hey, lovebirds! We still have a Grail to stop," Luvia chimed in. She was standing near the couple with her arms folded. Ilya was at her side - she had stayed out of sight for the battle, but now she had an important part to play.

Rin regained her composure and stood up with Ragna. "Right," they both said.

The group walked over to the pillar of darkness. Ilya sat down in front of it and closed her eyes. She linked her Magic Circuits with the interface and started analyzing it...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The final battle is over! Victory! XD

The idea for Shirou's swords is something I thought of to serve as an counterpart to the ones he and Archer used in the VN. The key difference is that they also work like matter/antimatter, which fits with his DESTRUCTION attitude.

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Come back next time for the True End!


	20. Sad Farewell : Azure Sky

**Sad Farewell** / Azure Sky

Ilya sat facing the magic circle. The others watched intently as parts of it glowed and dimmed. It was hard to keep track of time underground, but the tension made it seem to stretch on even longer.

Rin grew increasingly worried as Ilya's work continued. Taking this long to get results meant that something seriously complicated was in play.

Ragna felt a hand brush against his. He looked over to his master and she met his gaze. The hands came together, their fingers sliding past each other. Rin felt a reassuring squeeze, and returned the favor.

Eventually, Ilya stood up and opened her eyes. Everyone stared at her mouth as she articulated the words:

"I do not have the power to stop this."

"What? Why not?" Luvia asked, frustrated by the unexpected setback.

"The interface used by Shirou was made from the salvaged Magic Circuit of a powerful being. The method he used to awaken the Grail has caused its activation to become a self-sustaining process. Furthermore, it no longer accepts the heir of Einzbern as a legitimate vessel, so I have no way of even attempting to control it," Ilya explained. Her voice was cold and analytical. It seemed that the only way for her to cope with this revelation was to cut off all emotion.

Rin stepped forward." Alright then, plan B."

Luvia gave her a confused look. "Plan B? You didn't mention one..."

"Ragna should have enough power to destroy the Grail, provided I use my Command Spell to boost him." Rin tried to hide her unease, but it was obvious that she didn't like the plan.

"Rin, are you sure?" Luvia asked, looking genuinely concerned for the pair.

"I... I've figured it all out. I'll still have one Command Spell remaining, so even after the Grail is gone I will be able to maintain Ragna." Rin sounded uncertain as she spoke, but she wanted to believe that it would work.

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Rin," Ilya said, still not showing any emotion. "The connection that allows the servant to stay in this world is sustained by Tabuu. Once he is destroyed, Ragna will be sent back to the universe he came from, permanently."

Ragna looked down forlornly. "So... I guess it was true after all."

"Ragna..." Rin tried to hold back a tear.

"If this is the only way, then I'm sure as hell gonna do it. If Tabuu is as much of a threat as everyone says he is, then I have to do what I can. Killing him will save this world as well as many others." Ragna managed to bark the last word just as he was about to falter. Saying any more would've revealed the conflict inside him.

"But..."

Ragna walked towards the pillar of darkness. "Damn it! All three of you have to go right now! Rin, use the Command Spell once everyone is clear."

Luvia and Ilya headed for the exit, but Rin stayed.

"Ragna... you said you'd never leave. How can you do this to me now?" Rin whimpered.

Ragna didn't turn around to face her, but he relaxed his stoic expression slightly. "Rin... I... I really do want to be with you. I hate breaking my promise, it hurts me as much as it hurts you."

"Then why?" Rin breathed. "Why don't you cry?"

"I never said I didn't." Ragna turned his head, revealing a wet line coming down his cheek from his green eye.

"Ragna..." Rin dashed to her servant. Sparkling tears fell to the ground as she ran.

"No." The Grim Reaper closed his eyes and turned away again. "If I feel your touch now, it will only make it harder to do what I have to do."

Rin looked down dejectedly and held her hands against her chest. "Ragna, I..."

"Go."

With that, Rin turned around and left.

Ragna materialized the Blood Scythe one last time in this world.

* * *

As Rin recited the order, Ragna felt power surge through him.

He ran up the pillar, his footsteps creating ripples in the tendrils that formed it.

"Black Onslaught! Destruction!"

The Blood Scythe tore through Tabuu, rending him into nothingness with a single slash.

* * *

The three girls watched from the nearby forest as the mountain detonated. A bright flash of red lit up the night sky before fading. Water from a nearby lake immediately rushed to fill the crater left by the explosion.

Luvia and Ilya left Rin alone. The winning master stood near the remnants of the mountain and stared out over the newly formed lake.

The sun began to creep over the horizon, creating a line of gold that cut through the dark blue of the night.

A red servant landed gracefully on the shore of the lake.

"Ragna?" Rin's eyes instantly lit up. "You're..."

"Here to say goodbye." Ragna smiled sadly. A single piece of violet ash blew away from him like a cherry blossom petal.

Rin didn't care about what Ragna said earlier. She ran up to him and clutched him tightly. She was surprised to feel his arms wrap around her, returning the embrace.

"I needed to see you one last time, Rin. To touch you, to hear you... to tell you one last time... I love you." Ragna ran his fingers across Rin's face, brushing away a strand of hair.

Her aqua eyes met his red and green ones. "I love you too, Ragna. I will treasure every memory of you." Rin placed her hands on the back of Ragna's neck, pulling him closer. "Please... one last time..."

Their trembling lips met. They held each other closer, not wanting to part, trying to become one. It was a kiss of both love and desire - passionate, but at the same time sweet, tender and gentle.

Rin felt something brush against her cheek. Then the sensations covered her entire body. The glowing crimson, violet and black ashes scattered in the wind, leaving Rin alone.

"Goodbye, Ragna," she whispered softly. Rin opened her eyes and looked up.

The night when fate stood still had ended, and the dawn brought with it a beautiful azure sky.

Even as tears flowed down her cheeks, Rin Tohsaka still smiled. The new day gave her hope. She would go to the Clock Tower Academy with Luvia to continue her education as a magus, and she will never forget her true love.

_We'll meet again someday, Ragna. Maybe in a dream, or a new life. A world just for us._

* * *

Ragna awoke back in his own world, under a lone tree. A glorious sunrise greeted him as he looked up into the azure sky.

"Well, that was a strange dream."

He moved to stand up. As he pushed off the ground, he felt the grass with his right hand - it felt real.

_So, it wasn't a dream after all._

Ragna smiled. He still sensed a trace of the connection that he had established with Rin on the night they made love, and the Command Spell that she had used to make him remember himself.

Ragna the Bloodedge began to walk towards Kagutsuchi as he had originally intended. The sky reflected in his hopeful eyes as he took each step.

_You're still out there, Rin. Maybe once we're done with our own worlds, we can meet again._

TRUE END_  
_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you very much for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. ^^

I'd also like to thank my fellow writer Topographic Ocean, if I didn't have you to bounce ideas, I wouldn't have come up with some of the cool things in this story! XD

As some of you would know, it's actually Ragna's birthday today! So let's all wish him a happy birthday! (It was already the 3rd of March in Australia when I posted this chapter)

Fate/Azure Sky has reached an end, but my writing is just beginning. Hopefully I'll finish my novel sometime this year and get it published. If I get ideas for more fan fiction, I will write them at some point, so stay tuned!

Now, a little philosophical piece for you to enjoy, inspired by the style of Nasu's epilogue...

We live in and perceive our own personal worlds - each as unique and breathtaking as the individual.

The worlds of others pass by us every day. They interact and overlap quite often, but ultimately each person belongs to themselves.

Never forget, though, about the people who have invited you into their private worlds, and the ones you have chosen to share yours with.

To show one's true self is a very intimate thing, make sure to cherish those moments, both as the one showing their vulnerability, and as the loving audience.

Fin


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